Krypton
by Vadakin
Summary: A re-imagining of the final days of the planet Krypton, focused around the scientist Jor-El and his long time friend Dru-Zod.
1. Chapter 1

One

"_The search for knowledge must accompany the search for understanding. To know the secrets of the universe, one must first understand its nature." - Kem-L_

He sat in his chambers, datapad in hand, half-scribbled notes scattered across his bed. He failed to notice the light of the morning sun creeping through the window as he studied his datapad, his eyes darting back and forth furiously, his lips mouthing words silently. Today was the day. The final day. Six years of university would come to end with a final presentation. Most students took the theories of others and sought to show understanding. But he would be different. He would present something brand knew. He belonged to the House of El. A dynasty long admired for it's scholars and heroes. Perhaps a new name would be etched into the annals of their history. Jor-El, the great thinker. Jor-El the conqueror of knowledge. Or perhaps Jor-El the fool. Jor-El the dreamer with the wild theories. Jor-El the failure.

In truth, this presentation would do little to prevent him from finishing top of his class. After all he was his father's son. Seyg-El had led the Science Council for many years and it was expected that his sons would all inherit seats on the Council. But fate intervened in the case of two brothers. Zor-El, the oldest of the three brothers, became leader of Argo City, a move that was supposed to be a stepping stone to greater things but Zor-El became content with his life there, raising a family and eventually became a voice of conciliation between the Science Council and a Raoist cult called Black Zero, a group of religious zealots who believed the end of the world was at hand. A seat on the Council for Zor-El may have antagonized the group who valued Zor-El's general independence from the ruling council. Jor-El's second brother, Nim-El, his twin died at a young age, apparently a victim of radiation poisoning. It had been theorized that some rocks scattered around the Gold Volcano in the Jewel Mountains had become radioactive due to the massive energy of an eruption centuries ago. Jor-El himself had become sick but managed to survive.

Now the legacy of his House fell to him. He was still a young man, yet to reach his thirtieth year. Most of his friends graduated five years before him but Jor-El remained in study, seeking to do more. Others had one major subject. Jor-El had three. Engineering, biology and physics. Jor-El was determined to make a lasting impact, to write his name into the history books.

"Our sun is dying," his father once told him. "Someday we will have to leave this world behind and find a new home for our people."

"How long?" a curious child asked his father.

"Oh, a million rotations yet, maybe two."

"That's a long time."

Seyg-El smiled at his son. "For you and I perhaps, but for the universe it is but a moment."

From that moment on, Jor-El became consumed with an idea. A dream that he could save his people. He was only a child of course but as he looked to the star that gave light to the world, a red giant as old as the god it was named for, he knew it would define him. And so it led to this day. His final presentation. His wild theory that would rewrite the history of the entire solar system and life on the planet. That he could be wrong didn't enter his mind until this moment as he tried to memorize his presentation.

"Jor-El?" The voice of his mother Nimda, rang out across the house. "Jor, come down and eat before you leave."

That he lived at home, his ancestral home, was not uncommon. Jor-El had yet to finish university or find a suitable life partner. In fact it was expected that when the time came, Jor-El would stay as the heir to the El dynasty and his mother would rejoin her husband in the capital. Such was the way of the world. Jor-El of course couldn't eat. He couldn't think about food. He knew he needed sustenance. He required energy to function. The red sun provided enough to walk or run, to play sports, to think. Yet food was still a requirement. It was a mystery that Jor-El had sought to solve as he prepared his potentially groundbreaking presentation but a concrete solution still eluded him. Standing up, Jor-El stuffed his datapad and notes into his pack. He was ready. Ready to fail perhaps but he would go down in a blaze of glory. His one hope was that his mentor was not only a genius but also wildly eccentric. Perhaps Jax-Ur would see the merits of his theories. It was too late to worry about it now though.

Three short hours later, Jor-El stood nervously outside the assembly hall at Tala University. Tala-El was the author of the first planetary constitution, a document that united the whole planet one hundred and eighty years earlier. It was a great achievement and another reminded to Jor-El of what was expected of the House of El.

"You look anxious," a voice behind him commented. Jor-El turned to see a familiar face standing there. Dru-Zod. A tall man with a handsome face partially hidden by perfectly even stubble spread across the lower half. His uniform gave away his military status, standing out like a sore thumb on a campus filled with scholars.

"Do you have to sneak up on me like that?"

"It's how they trained me. Always maintain the element of surprise. Especially when there's fun to be had." Zod responded with a grin.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Jor-El asked as he tried to calm himself to prevent his presentation from escaping his memory and floating away with the wind.

"My superiors are worried about a threat on your mentor's life. Personally I think it's nonsense. Jax-Ur is eccentric but he's not dangerous. I think they're just trying to keep my feet grounded now that I'm a captain. They don't want my ego running away with itself."

"Captain Zod, the babysitter." Jor-El said with a chuckle. Tradition on Krypton stated that males took the names of their house to go with their own forename, females took the names of their fathers but military personal had no forename and were called by their rank and dynasty. Thus Dru of the House of Zod became Captain Zod. Zod's lineage was not a remembered one. The House of Zod was just a few generations old and had added little to the world. Like Jor-El, Zod was determined to make a name for himself and had long ago abandoned his forename, even before joining the military.

"No job too small," Zod commented with a slight tone of resentment. "I'm expected to stay by his side until he lands safely on Wegthor in the morning. I swear whoever thought it was a good idea to put a laboratory on the moon has obviously never thrown up in a space transport."

"Better you than me. I hate space travel," Jor-El concluded, almost vomiting at the thought of the G forces required to push against the gravity of the planet and break through the atmosphere. As students filed into the hall, Jor-El's eyes fell upon one in particular. She was his competition. The only one in the whole class who came close to equalling his scores. She was also the most beautiful woman on the planet in his eyes. As her gaze met his, Jor-El looked away shyly. She walked passed him, seemingly disappointed, not that Jor-El noticed. But Zod did.

"Oh for Rao's sake. Don't tell me you still haven't talked to her."

"I...I don't know what you mean."

Zod couldn't help but roll his eyes. They had been down this road before. " You've been in the same class for three years. Today is your last day. Your last chance. Take it."

"That's easy for you to say. Her father is Lor-Van, patriarch of one of the oldest dynasties in Kandor.

"And you're an El. The most famous dynasty on the entire planet. The reserved, mild mannered genius approach isn't working. You need to take command."

Jor-El looked at Zod quizzically. "She's a woman Zod, not some enemy soldier on the battlefield ."

"You're saying there's a difference?" Zod asked, stifling a laugh. Jor-El shook his head.

"Sometimes I wonder how your wife puts up with you Zod."

"Oh Faora knows how to put me in my place. Believe me."

"Well my place is inside. I have a presentation to give, Rao help me. Are you coming in?" Jor-El asked, unsure which answer he'd prefer.

"Oh I'm not missing this."

As they entered the assembly hall, Jax-Ur stood at the front. Despite devoting most of his time to his experiments on the moon, he loved to teach. That he could shape the future of people like Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van gave him great satisfaction. In his class were the minds that would take the world to the next level. He signalled for Jor-El to take his place at the front as Zod leaned up against the wall, feigning interest. Most of the subjects discussed and taught in the assembly hall went way over his head.

As Jor-El stood at the head of the class, the eyes of the room all on him, Jax-Ur sat down next to a student. "The floor is yours." he said, gesturing to Jor-El. Silence descended as Jor-El struggled to remember his first line. This was it. His moment. And he couldn't remember a word. Jax-Ur saw the signs of stage fright instantly. "Maybe you should start with who you are?" he offered.

Jor-El took another few moments. "Um...Krypton." A whispered laugh spread across the room.

"Hello Krypton," a voice from the back shouted back. More laughing.

Jor-El took a few deep breaths as he glanced nervously around the room. Zod remained still, observing him. Jax-Ur was distracted by the voices around the room. The woman of his dreams though just stared at him and smiled softly. Suddenly Jor-El knew exactly what he needed to say.

"My uh...my name is Jor-El and my presentation centers around our home. Our planet. Krypton. It is about our life-giving sun, our very lives. Krypton is the closest planet to Rao, named for the god of gods. While it has long been assumed that there once existed one, perhaps two planets closer to Rao until the sun expanded to a red giant, it is believed that life did not exist on our world until that cosmic event that saw Rao transform from a yellow star to the life-giving red sun we have today. Life could not exist before then because our planet existed outside any kind of habitable zone in the days of the yellow sun. I am here to day to contest that belief. I believe that life existed long before the expansion event. Perhaps more importantly however, I believe the ancient yellow star is the source of our ability to absorb solar energy."

As Jor-El began, a hush fell over the room. It was a theory that had never been heard in academia. As far as anyone knew, life before the red giant was impossible. Yet the history of Krypton would be forever linked to the life of the sun.

"Having studied everything from fossil records to planetary orbits of the solar system, I intend to present a scenario meant to go some way towards explaining our existence." Jor-El continued his presentation as he activated a console at the front of the class. A series of holographic screens appeared, showing diagrams and simulations all pre-programmed by Jor-El the day before.

"Rao was once a yellow star. And Krypton existed on the outer edge of the habitable zone. Life existed. But it was sparse. The harsh reality of a cold climate, shifting tectonic plates and a thin atmosphere meant that life could not flourish as it did today. In essence, food was hard to come by. So life had to adapt. It began taking in energy from the sun."

"So why aren't we green?" a question from a student. "You're talking about photosynthesis right? So why aren't we green like all the plants?"

Jor-El hadn't been expecting questions but he was on a roll now. Any nervousness had gone out the window and once he got started it would be impossible to shut him up without fitting a muzzle over his mouth.

"That's a good question. And the answer is simple. It wasn't photosynthesis. Life didn't take in solar energy for nutrients. At least non plant life didn't. The energy served a different purpose. I believe the harsh environment of early Krypton forced animal life to adapt significantly to endure and survive. Stronger lungs to take in more oxygen in the thin atmosphere, enhanced vision and hearing to aid hunting on a world where food sources were few. Enhanced strength and speed was a must. But there wasn't enough food to generate the kind of energy required to make these abilities work. So evolution turned to the sun. That is why we take in solar energy today. It is a trait left over from another age.

"But why aren't we leaping tall buildings then?" Lara asked, sitting right in front of Jor-El.

Jor-El hesitated. He lost his train of thought for a moment and found himself staring at Lara Lor-Van. He shook it off though and continued. "That is the big question. To answer it we need to look at the sun." The truth was that Jor-El didn't have an answer. Nothing definitive anyway. Just a vague theory. But today was about theories. Crazy or not. He knew he had probably lost most of the class as soon as he mentioned enhanced abilities but it didn't matter. The purpose of the end of year presentation wasn't to be right. It was to show that one could form opinions, formulate theories and follow them to their conclusion, whether right or wrong.

"The sun expanded. It became a red giant, swallowing up the inner planets and leaving Krypton as the closest planet to the sun. It exists now at the centre of a new habitable zone. The event destroyed most life on the planet but something of the early days survived. This time though life flourished. An abundance of plant and animal life made the enhanced abilities of the earlier period irrelevant. Over time these now unneeded abilities became dormant. It may even be linked to the transformation of our sun in a much more direct way. I believe that a unique energy signature within the solar radiation of our red sun served to suppress these abilities. Evolution is generally concerned with survival of the fittest but entire species of...super powered creatures could have led to a mass extinction. Perhaps Kryptonian life, now flourishing all over the planet, evolved in a way to prevent that by preventing these abilities from being activated, essentially making them dormant. It's possible that in some creatures, these abilities may still exist, hidden away under a red star."

"That's quite a leap." Jax-Ur commented, engaging with his student.

"It is," Jor-El responded. "To be honest I don't have definitive proof. It's theory right now. In my experiments I did expose several rodents to synthetic yellow sunlight. They appeared to show signs of increased strength. Unfortunately their bodies could not contain the energy within their cells and they all died. Rodents exposed to natural sunlight from Rao showed no change whatsoever. It leads me to believe that at the very least, there is a physiological link to yellow sunlight which suggests to me that life did exist prior to the red giant expansion and that it found a unique way to survive."

"And the rest is conjecture?" Jax-Ur asked.

"Some of it. But I believe it certainly warrants further study."

"I agree."

And suddenly the pressure was gone. Jax-Ur was impressed. As Jor-El presented his evidence he was confident that his last day at university was worthwhile. Perhaps he could add to the legacy of the House of El. When the presentation was over, most of the students made their way outside to enjoy their freedom as they left university behind them. Only a few stayed behind to talk with Jor-El, including Lara.

"I thought it was very interesting." she commented as she watched Jor-El pack up his notes. "I took solar mechanics in my first rotation you know. My father is a Raoist which is ironic given his place on the Science Council."

"And what about you?" Jor-El asked, trying to work up the courage to ask her out. Of course he had been trying for three years and could never get the words out. This time would be no different.

"Oh I love the sun." Lara said with a smile. "It's a giant nuclear reactor. And it's dying. I feel like I want to save it. Stupid I know. I'll be long dead when it dies. By then we'll have colonized the stars."

"Of course if we don't the entire species will be dead." Jor-El responded, instantly regretting the morbidity of his statement.

"Swallowed up by a supernova." Lara replied with a strange sense of wonder. "I'd love to hear more about your theory. Do you want to maybe get some lunch?"

And there it was. After three years of waiting for Jor-El to make a move, Lara took matters into her own hands. Jor-El almost said no on reflex. He managed to stop himself though and give her a nod of his head. He couldn't speak. As they left the assembly hall together, Zod and Jax-Ur looked on.

"Well it's about time," Zod muttered.

"Three years in my class and they finally get their act together on the last day. Typical." Jax-Ur replied.

"Speaking of time, we had better get you to the launch site."

"I don't need your protection Captain. Those zealots are full of hot air. That's all."

"You're probably right," Zod agreed, "but orders are orders."

Time passed quickly for Jor-El and Lara. When their parents discovered their blossoming relationship, the matchmaking began but the couple were determined to take things slow. They both had careers to think about and much they wanted to accomplish. Lara gained a position as part of a solar monitoring project that involved a series of satellites circling the sun, recording data and sending it back to Krypton for study. Jor-El started out as a research assistant for Jax-Ur and his trans-dimensional gateway project, designed to create a means to travel to other worlds without the expense and long journey of sub-light space travel. Luckily for Jor-El, he was stationed on Krypton rather than its moon, Wegthor and was able to spend much of his time with Lara.

It was on one fateful day as they ate together that two events that would signal great tragedy occurred. The first happened as Lara's personal datapad showed new data coming in from the solar satellites. She stared at the data for a few moments and slammed the pad down on the table.

"Stupid thing. Either that's faulty or one of the satellites is malfunctioning."

"What's wrong?" Jor-El asked.

"See for yourself," she replied, shoving the datapad into his hand. "According to that there was a massive energy spike six cycles ago."

"You're sure it's a fault?" Jor-El enquired as he studied the data for himself.

"It was like a quick burst. I don't know, it's probably just a solar flare. The energy output was insane. We may have to just scrap the satellite altogether. It's more efficient to just send up another but that means another month of sleepless nights. I hate the sun."

"I thought you loved it?" Jor-El tried to suppress a teasing smile.

"Oh shut up." Lara grabbed the datapad from his hand. She glared at him for a moment, watching his smile grow. She stuck out her tongue causing Jor-El to burst into a fit of laughter. Lara soon followed.

The datapad ended up on the floor. Neither of them knew the tragic truth behind the energy spike and it would be years until it was revealed to them. By then it would be too late as other events conspired to distract everyone from their fate.

On that same day as the sun set and the moon rose overhead, a flash of light from the moon announced a tragedy. Wegthor, an ancient deity and the name given to the moon bore witness to a tragedy. As Jax-Ur pressed ahead with an experiment despite the warnings of the Science Council, an unstable wormhole gave way to an intense explosion, killing most of the three hundred thousand people living and working in the lunar base. Jax-Ur himself survived and faced with the prospect of facing judgment for his part in the tragedy, disappeared.

It was this event that saw Black Zero transform themselves a mere annoyance to a threat to the people of Krypton. Believing that the lunar destruction was a sign from Rao that the ed was near, the Raoists demanded a halt to all technological advancement and a return to simpler times if the world was to appease Rao. The Science Council rejected the notion outright, but when Jax-Ur returned, driven mad by his actions and now declaring himself the prophet of Rao, the entire planet found itself in a holy war, the first of its kind since the tribal wars that once divided the planet.

It was a war that would change everything. It would see the rise of a new leader, breed fear among the ruling class and ultimately it would all prove to be pointless. Sacrifices would be in vain, lives lost for nothing. Whether by divine hand or the random nature of the universe, the wrath of Rao would descend upon the doomed planet Krypton.


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

"_Our world is of one of many across the universe. Our existence is unique only in that we believe it to be so. In truth, life exists all around us on a thousand times a thousand worlds in each of a thousand galaxies. We are but one piece of the puzzle. If the gods created us to mirror them, one must wonder if all intelligent life was made to resemble them also. We may have brothers and sisters across the stars and we need only stretch out or hands and embrace them." - Sul-El._

At the dawn of creation there existed the gods. From chaos came Rao, who longed to fill the universe with companions. The father Rao was the architect of the universe. From his throne in the centre, his light spread out across the darkness and gave form to his thoughts. First he created his children. He looked upon them with love and devotion and created a world for them to live and play forever in Paradise. His children gave rise to new generations until the world was filled with life, ever-blissful and everlasting. But there was one among his children who could not conceive sons or daughters of her own for although Rao loved all of his creations he favoured one daughter above all others and could not see her purity tarnished. Cythonna his beloved daughter grew to resent her father and became as cold as the icy winds of the north. Unable to conceive children of her own she conspired to corrupt the children of her brothers and sisters for herself. Cythonna brought darkness and despair to the world and for the first time since his emergence from chaos, Rao felt anger,

The light from his throne turned to fire and heat and the battle was drawn. Cythonna's embrace of cold lifelessness saw her embodied in ice and so the war of fire and ice consumed the world. The corrupted children of the gods fought against those still loyal to their ultimate creator but the strength of ice could not long stand against the fires of Rao and Cythonna was defeated. But the horrors of war had seen Rao's creations on both sides become corrupt by the despair and hatred they experienced. The world Rao had created was scarred and unrecognisable. The Paradise the father had created for his children had become a barren wasteland. Rao knew that his children could not live on this or any world. They were corrupt. Impure. So Rao resolved to restore their purity, to return them the formless lights they had once been. The children of Rao were spread across creation to flicker and shine for eternity so that Rao could look upon them and see them in their purest form.

But not all his children were returned to light. His youngest son, Wegthor had been the first to come to his side during the struggle and his loyalty was rewarded with a prominent place in the heavens. His rebellious daughter was banished, far from his light and warmth and beyond the realm of his children into the cold and empty void. His son Aeythr was charged with guarding the void. Eventually Rao turned back to the world. He charged Vohc, his second son with destroying the world, determined to break it apart. But before the task could be carried out, Rao discovered two of his creations hiding within a mountain. They were lovers who had hidden themselves away to avoid the awful war. They remained uncorrupted, pure. Filled with a sense of peace, Rao resolved to spare the world and rebuild it just for them. They were Sora Lor-Kryp and Ton-El. The last lovers, the last uncorrupted children of the gods. Rao named them as the Flamebird and the Nightwing. Pure spirits who could restore the glory of his world. And so Vohc was ordered to reshape the world for them rather than destroy it.

But when Vohc laid eyes on Sora he fell in love and was determined to make her his own. Rather than remake the world, he built a monument to declare his love for her. But Sora loved Ton-El completely. She rejected Vohc. Angered, Vohc sought to destroy Ton-El and take Sora by force but Rao would not see the lovers be torn apart and again ordered Vohc to reshape the world. Vohc agreed but his rage could not be sated. As Sora and Ton-El bonded within their mountain home, Vohc stirred the elements and caused hot fires to burst through the mountain, causing it to explode. The immense energy from the explosion caused ash and rock to spread across the world and the two lovers were bonded together in death. The explosion of the mountain of the pure, the gold volcano as Vohc called it, reshaped the world as Rao had asked but at the expense of Rao's most cherished creations.

Enraged, Rao banished Vohc to the great void, joining Cythonna in dark exile and once more Rao looked upon the world with sadness. But his despair was abated when out of the last tragedy, life sprang from the ground, perhaps a testament to the love of Sora Lor-Kryp and Ton-El. Rao decided to retreat to his fiery throne to look down upon this new life and watch it grow. The nameless world of the gods would be named for the last pure children of the gods, bonded together forever as Krypton. And as the new life forged it's own destiny across the planet, the light and warmth of Rao would shine down upon them, only retreating at night so that his children could be seen from the planet below as stars in the sky. But Rao was concerned about the fate of this new life. Did they inherit the purity of the last children of the gods or did the death of the lovers cause the corruption to return in these new creations? Rao decided to wait and watch. If the corruption that began so long ago with his daughter made itself known, Rao would bring his wrath down upon them but he was hopeful that this time it would be different. Each night, Rao would leave to allow his children to be seen. Wegthor watched the world when his father could not as the distant stars shone with purity once more.

Lara Lor-Van had learned the creation story from her father as a child. However the version she heard was slightly different. Lor-Van was a Raoist. A believer in the one god Rao. A Raoist. In his version of the tale, Rao was a lone god. His creations were not gods. The were servants of Rao who procreated against his wishes and thus all were corrupt. The children of his servants fought for the creator's love but ultimately all were doomed and destroyed in a vengeful flood. His servants were banished to the cosmos as stars, resigned to looking upon the world from a great distance, never to return home. Sora Lor-Kryp and Ton-El were the only children of the servants to remain pure and so they were spared, destined to populate the planet with a race of man worthy of Rao's love. But worthiness was not a guarantee. One had to do good deeds and treat their fellow man with love and respect.

That was how Lara heard the tale. The differences appeared slight but those differences were blamed for the Tribal Wars, a series of wars over two hundred years that saw the planet divided between those who worshipped only Rao and those who worshipped a pantheon of gods. The latter days of the Tribal Wars saw a new and terrible weapon deployed not just on the battlefield, but over the cities and homes of all nations. The splitting of the atom had given rise to nuclear war. The technology was new and dangerous and after seven detonations across four continents, a truce was declared. By this time the religious origins of the conflict had been replaced by a desire to conquer the lands of their enemies instead of the beliefs of their enemies. For three decades an uneasy peace descended upon Krypton as all sides began stockpiling nuclear weapons in preparation for the inevitable. Voices of reason were being overshadowed by extreme voices declaring that if a full scale nuclear conflict destroyed all life, the truth of their dispute would be seen in death. Insanity appeared to be the order of the day. But whatever side a person came down on, both belief structures had one thing in common – both believed in miracles.

The miracle was one of science. A discovery about the sun, the cosmic embodiment of Rao. The sun was dying. The nuclear arms race had seen the rapid rise of rocket technology and as rockets were built to send bombs to wipe out cities and launch spy satellites into orbit, some were turning the satellites around, pointing them towards the stars. Knowledge of the make up of the universe began to increase and the discovery that Rao, once a bright young yellow star, now a red giant, was destined to die. Rao was a very old star and eventually it would collapse. It was estimated that it could occur within a few million years, a long time for one person but a mere instant in the life of the universe. Armed with the knowledge that the god they had been fighting over was on its deathbed, a new perspective was gained. Lasting peace came to Krypton as the planet resolved to find a way to escape their doom. Perhaps the stars, believed to be the children of the gods, were put in the sky to give hope to the people that new worlds awaited. Perhaps this was Rao's plan. Religious leaders debated the meaning of the discovery but in the end the goal was clear. Rao would die and take Krypton with it so the only choice was to escape to the stars.

Of course, the level of technology on Krypton was nowhere near capable of such a feat but they had time. A couple of million years. A new devotion to science and technology inspired the world to unite. Tala-El wrote the first planetary constitution as nuclear weapons were disarmed and destroyed. The two great religions fell into decline though it was long believed that there was some basis in fact. Beyond the wilds of the Scarlet Jungle, rising high above Kandor City stood the Gold Volcano, the largest mountain in the Jewel Mountain range and long believed to be the home and perhaps the tomb of Sora Lor-Kryp and Ton-El. Indeed the House of El has long tried to establish an ancestry with the doomed lovers and the El dynasty's achievements throughout recorded history were thought to suggest a divine connection to their bloodline. Lara Lor-Van's father was of course named for Lor-Kryp, the presumed father of Sora. But the so-called Age of the Divine was consigned to myth in a new age of enlightenment and scientific advancement. The religions didn't die out completely though their importance in daily life was resigned to personal experience rather than national identity.

One hundred and seventy years after the signing of the planetary constitution which brought an official end to the Tribal Wars, the quest to find a new home was gaining some ground. The brilliant physicist Jax-Ur spent his days on the moon of Wegthor in a specially built lab, building a machine to harness negative energy. His theory was simple. The universe is curved and to travel from one point to another required traveling around the curve. Jax-Ur believed there were several points around the universe where one could cut a path through the curve and go in a straight line to a destination in a much shorter time. With faster than light travel being impossible, some kind of gateway or shortcut would be the only way to effectively travel great distances in a reasonable time. The problem was, these points in space time were microscopic, crushed by the forces of gravity. So Jax-Ur resolved to used the recently discovered negative energy to expand these gateway points, negating the gravitational forces long enough to send a probe through.

Travel between the planet and the moon had become a lot faster in recent years though no less comfortable. Jax-Ur had made this journey several times but for Captain Zod it was just his sixth flight. Zod had undertaken numerous high atmosphere jumps during his military training, he had experienced G forces far higher than those experienced in the lunar rocket while undergoing sub orbital flight training, but still, the very notion of flying to the moon made him uneasy. Jor-El hated space flight and made a point to have himself stationed in a lab on Krypton, his feet planted firmly on the ground. No such luck for Zod though. Having been assigned to provide security to Jax-Ur, he had to go wherever the eccentric scientist went.

However, his role in providing security offered him the opportunity to be present on what was to be a momentous day. After years of research and preparation, Jax-Ur was all set to activate his trans-dimensional gateway for the first time. There were well over seven thousand people living and working on the moon, some as part of mining operations, others involved in artificial bio-sphere projects to determine the viability of establishing self-sustaining colonies on even the harshest of worlds. But Zod found himself as one of just a hand full of people inside the laboratory to witness the event. Jor-El watched from a monitoring station back on Krypton, slightly envious but still glad he didn't have to strap himself to a rocket to watch.

When the time came, a hush fell over the gathered scientist. Jax-Ur looked around the room and saw a healthy mix of anxious and excited faces. As the machine started up and energy transference from the reactor began, Jax-Ur began running through checklists as various monitoring stations confirmed the status of each component and operation. First there was a tiny spark of light, shimmering silently for less than a moment. Then a rapid expansion. An explosion of energy, perhaps a new big bang with the elements of a new universe within. But the rapid expansion didn't consume everything. Instead it stabilized and slowed until that initial spark was now a ball of energy, filling two thirds of the lab complex. Safe behind the observation screen, Jax-Ur marveled at the sight before him. His life's work was moments from completion.

"Begin negative energy injection." His order came in a cool, commanding voice and slowly but surely, the ball of energy began to dissipate from the inside until all that was left was a ring of energy surrounding a black emptiness. The scientists began to applaud and congratulate, too distracted to notice the rising energy levels. It was only when a sudden increase in gravity sucked a technician through the energy ring, his agonized scream silenced as he passed the event horizon, that they began to realise what was happening. The evacuation alarm sounded almost immediately and panicked scientists and technicians began running for the exit. But as the gravity of what was effectively a mini black hole increased, more and more people fell victim to the unstoppable force.

For his part, Captain Zod showed his bravery and composure, commanding the evacuation procedure and ensuring that as many people as possible made it out of the facility. He was charged with protecting Jax-Ur but there were now thousands of people across the lunar colony who needed to be protected. But such was the secrecy of the experiment, most colonists would never receive an evacuation order. Jax-Ur himself seemed more concerned with his own safety as the energy gateway expanded, pulling everything not nailed down through its event horizon.

"Captain we must get out of here quickly." Jax-Ur pleaded as he approached the exit. Zod was no scientist but he knew the danger was not confined to the facility.

"What about the machine? How bad could this get?"

"We don't have time. We must go now!" Jax-Ur responded, trying to force his way past Zod, who was having none of it. He grabbed Jax-Ur by his collar and slammed him against the wall as the facility went to hell around them.

"Tell me!" Zod ordered with venom in his voice.

"It's...it's expanding. It's not supposed to expand like this. The gravity is increasing and eventually the whole thing will collapse in on itself."

"That's good right?" Zod asked. Jax-Ur's fearful eyes gave him his answer.

"No it's bad, very very bad. When it collapses it will compress itself into a singularity."

"A black hole?"

"I'm afraid so. Now come on we must get out of here before it's too late." The panic in Jax-Ur's voice was unmistakable.

"Wait, nothing escapes a black hole. The moon..."

"It will be crushed."

"And Krypton?" The full scale of the danger was dawning on Zod and on Jax-Ur too.

"I don't know...it might...no...the planet will be destroyed." Jax-Ur suddenly became calm. This was it. The end. There was no escape. Krypton's space industry was still in its infancy. No Kryptonian had ever left the solar system or even venture as far as the nearest planet. There was nowhere to run.

"So what do we do? Can't we shut it off?"

Jax-Ur thought for a moment. The machine had gone critical. Simply turning it off would have done nothing. The only chance was to dissipate the energy. Overload the energy reactors ad cause the whole thing to explode. But there was a catch.

"Self destruct. We overload it and explode the energy."

"Will that work?"

"Yes, but that kind of explosion will take half the moon with it."

"That's insane," Zod exclaimed, "there has to be another way. You built this thing."

"There isn't. If we do nothing then Krypton will be destroyed. At least this way we lose thousands, not billions. It's a horrible thing but it's the only choice."

Zod thought back to his training. A leader sometimes has to make terrible choices for the greater good. Sometimes there is no right or wrong, only what is necessary. He nodded his consent to Jax-Ur who, fighting against the growing gravitational force, input his override code into the main control console, setting the reactor to overload. It became a race against time then as Zod and Jax-Ur raced to the escape pods, hoping to get beyond the impending blast.

Argo City was one of the oldest of Krypton's great cities. Kandor had long been considered the most important city and after unification, Kryptonopolis was built to represent a new united future and set up as the capital and home of the governing Science Council. Argo had been the holy city of the Raoists for centuries. These days, Argo's importance had diminished greatly. It was led by Zor-El who had spent years easing religious tensions and these days spent his days raising his family and dealing with the daily running of the city.

As night fell over the city, young Kara Zor-El sat in the garden with her father, staring at the stars. It was a nightly routine for them in recent weeks. Kara's mother Alura had been called to Kryptonopolis to attend an education seminar and wasn't due back for a couple of days. So father and daughter occupied their time looking to the skies, wondering what might be out there.

"Do you think there are people out there? Orbiting one of those stars?" Kara asked.

"It's possible. There are a lot of stars."

"How many? Thousands? Millions?"

"Trillions I expect."

"I wonder how many heads they have." Kara mused, causing her father to chuckle slightly.

"I'm sure your uncle would love this conversation."

A sudden flash of light across the night sky prevented Kara from uttering a single word in response. She could only look to the moon along with Zor-El to see the immediate aftermath of a terrible explosion.

"Get inside. Hurry." Zor-El commanded. Things were going to change. He could feel it. What had happened? How many had died? A thousand questions ran through his mind. But one thing he knew for sure was that his wife had to come home from the seminar. They needed to be a family.

In a small monitoring station a few miles outside Kryptonopolis, Jor-El poured over streams of data from Jax-Ur's experiment. He knew before anyone else that something was wrong. The energy output from Jax-Ur's machine was much too high. Tragically that same energy interfered with his attempts to make contact with the lunar facility. Did Jax-Ur know what was happening? Why wasn't he doing anything to stop it? When the energy began to spike far beyond norms, Jor-El instinctively knew that Jax-Ur had taken drastic action.

Jor-El ran outside, looking for the moon in the sky. He watched in horror as a massive explosion tore a huge chunk from the moon. He knew a shockwave would spread across the lunar surface, wiping out most of the three hundred thousand souls living and working on the colony. He worried for those people. He wasn't a Raoist but he prayed silently.

Four days later, Jax-Ur and Captain Zod stood before a tribunal. Zod was calm and composed as he gave evidence, explaining that the whole planet would have met its end had they not acted. Yet he showed remorse. Hundreds of thousands were dead. Necessary deaths perhaps, but Zod felt their loss. The Science Council agreed with his assessment. They presented him as a hero faced with an impossible choice. The same could not have been said for Jax-Ur. The Science Council had warned him about the dangers of his experiment. Perhaps they should have forbidden him from undertaking the test but he was one of the greatest minds on the planet and was expected to follow every safety procedure and take every precaution.

The deaths of three hundred thousand people fell squarely on his shoulders. Jax-Ur was vilified but it didn't matter what the rest of the world thought of him or blamed him for. He blamed himself. In the days after the tragedy, the full weight of what he had done consumed him. Jax-Ur was driven mad and couldn't put a coherent sentence together during the tribunal. Some believed he was faking it, trying to avoid a prison sentence but to those close to him, there was no doubt that Jax-Ur was mad.

On the final day of the initial hearing, Jax-Ur was to be transported to a facility for mental assessment. But the transport never arrived at the facility. The driver and guards were later found found dead, each riddled with bullets. Jax-Ur himself was nowhere to be found. Some suspected that extreme elements in Black Zero had captured him and were planning to execute him for his crime of technology but nobody could be sure.

In Argo City, Zor-El tried frantically to calm the Black Zero Raoist group, who were beginning to talk about Wegthor's destruction as a sign from Rao that the rapid technological advancement of Kryptonian society was an affront to his will. Tensions were rising fast. Zor-El worked tirelessly to calm their fears. Nevertheless, security across the planet was tightened. A return to the chaos of the tribal wars seemed inevitable as people began viewing all Raoists with suspicion.

It was a few weeks after the lunar catastrophe that Black Zero made a statement that would echo across history. It was a statement of intent, a vision for the future. But what shocked the public and the Science Council was the identity of the man of delivered the statement. A holo-message broadcast across the planet showed the mad scientist – Jax-Ur.

"I am responsible for the deaths of three hundred thousand people. Their blood is on my hands. I am a scientist. I thought I could change the world. I believed I could take Krypton to the next level of exploration and take us beyond our dying star to new worlds. I was wrong. We were not meant to be gods. Rao gave us life and gave us this world, no other. Our technology, our desire to expand across the stars and leave the love of the one god behind will prove our undoing. These are the end times. What happened on Wegthor was not an accident. I am aware now that I was but a tool for Rao to convey his will. The Book of the Divine tells us that Rao will lay his wrath upon those who defile his world. I am the instrument of his wrath and all will bow to his will or perish in the void."

They called it Zero Day. Seven explosions across seven cities. Black Zero had struck and Jax-Ur's insane ramblings had rallied many Raoists to their cause. This wasn't like the tribal wars of old. There were no open battlefields, no trench warfare. Black Zero would strike at their pleasure, determined to cause chaos and instill fear across the world. Their demands were simple. Abandon all scientific advancement and embrace the will of Rao. The Science Council were not amused by the demands and immediately began setting up a task force to hunt down and kill the Black Zero leadership. Captain Zod was promoted to Major, just a few months after his last promotion. The Science Council would make him the face of the war effort. He would be the hero in the face of adversity. Those under his command would grow to respect and trust Zod implicitly as he led the fight against Black Zero. Times were changing.


	3. Chapter 3

Three

"_And we who are bathed in the light of our father shall shine that light on our enemies as a blazing heat that will blister their skin and char their bones. Their anguished cries will be silenced in the void and Paradise will belong to the righteous and faithful once more." - Wegthor, Book of the Divine._

Four months. Four months since the day Black Zero launched its brutal assault on seven cities across the planet. Four months since Zero Day. Four months without answers. Without progress. Major Zod's task force was getting nowhere. Jax-Ur may have lost his mind after the Wegthor incident, but somewhere inside his head, the cool and rational scientist prevailed. After the first attack, he knew that to survive, Black Zero would have to disappear. It would need to plan for it's next attack but the most important thing was not to be exposed. Only a few Raoists supported Black Zero and even fewer could be trusted to carry out vital missions. Recruitment would take time. Nevertheless, Zero Day had done its job. The entire planet was gripped in fear. The wrath of Rao would be just and the fearful would be the first to fall. Four months. The Science Council's patience was wearing thin.

"You must know someone. You liaised with Black Zero for years. There has to be someone you can reach out to. Or perhaps you simply don't want to catch them." Zod accused, glaring at Zor-El.

"I told you Major, Black Zero is laying low. They won't raise their heads again until they're ready to attack again. And I don't appreciate your accusations. I am no traitor Zod."

Zod had many soldiers at his command. But the actual task force set up to find and capture Jax-Ur and the Black Zero leadership was made up of just a few people. Zod and his wife Faora were soldiers. The military was in their blood. Their sense of duty is probably what attracted them to each other. Faora was the daughter of a leading member of the Science Council. He wasn't happy when his daughter joined the military. When she chose to bond with someone from the House of Zod, a family of peasants with no legacy of any regard, he was even less pleased. But Faora admired Zod's determination, his will to progress beyond his station, to the best in spite of his name, or perhaps because of it.

Zor-El had spent years with members of Black Zero, trying to bring them out of the dark ages and his brother Jor-El had not only been taught by Jax-Ur, he had worked for him on the very project that saw Wegthor split in two. Jor-El was the most reluctant member of the task force. He had other priorities. His wife was part of a team developing a "solar explorer," a device designed to fly into the heart of the sun, braving the extreme temperatures to send back more accurate data than the monitoring satellites ever could. Jor-El had been working on a delivery system. After the Wegthor destruction, those who survived were evacuated from the moon. The space program was being wound down. Rocket based technology was just too inefficient and resources were too valuable. The entire project was being reassessed. It was the genius of Jor-El that would solve the problem. He would find a new way to send craft into space. But it had to be put on hold. Black Zero was the Science Council's top priority.

"I have spoken with my contacts," Zor-El continued, "and it seems it's not enough to say you are a Raoist. You have to prove that you are dedicated to their cause. Few are willing to risk their own lives or take the kind of action Black Zero requires them to take. It's all done through third parties. If someone is rejected, they never get close to the leadership and if they are accepted then they simply disappear, never to be seen again or questioned by authorities. Black Zero may as well not exist."

"That's not good enough," Faora responded with a touch of anger, "Twenty three thousand people died in those bombings. They have to be found."

"That's easier said than done." Jor-El commented, looking up from his notes just long enough to chime in with a brief remark before diving back into equations.

Thank you for your input Jor-El. That was very...insightful." Zod remarked. Time was against them. He knew that. Black Zero would strike again. It was only a question of when.

Deep in the Jewel Mountains, hidden from civilization, Jax-Ur poured over data. He remembered the day he had been taken by Black Zero. They called him a prophet of Rao, the bringer of death to the fallen. The deaths of so many people on Wegthor weighed heavily on his heart. His rational mind was broken. The only way he could live with himself, with his failure, was to accept the insanity of this group as his personal truth. Within days of his capture by Black Zero, Jax-Ur was convinced he was the harbinger of doom. He had dedicated his life to science and now he would turn science into an evil. He would show the world the destructive power of technology and force everyone to realize that only Rao could grant them peace from their troubles. Seven bombs in seven cities. His plan. His idea to shock the world out of apathy. It sent a message that Black Zero, righteous soldiers of Rao, would stop at nothing to fulfill their goals.

But it had been four months since that attack. Jax-Ur knew that they needed to strike again. But it needed to be something big. Something the world would never forget. A nuclear bomb perhaps. He knew how to build one. He even knew where he could get the materials. But therein lay the problem. Security had been heightened across the planet. There was no way he could get what he needed. Nuclear weapons were out of the question. But there was another option. An option he didn't even know existed an hour ago.

He poured over data. The small screen in his hand displayed something very interesting. Military documents left over from the tribal war. Details of an ancient weapon that few knew existed and more importantly, the means to access the weapon. Jax-Ur didn't know where the information had come from. It had certainly been stolen from the defense mainframe. But the mainframe was unhackable. Every member of the Science Council committed a section of code to memory upon their ascent to the Council. Each member knew only one section of code so that no one person could act unilaterally. The decision to use the weapon would need to come from all of them. But that was a long time ago. As the years passed, members died before passing on their sections of code to their successors, others simply forgot the code. The system was unhackable and there was nobody left on the planet who knew even part of the decryption algorithm. Yet Jax-Ur held it all in his hands.

Where had it come from? Who had the knowledge to hack the unhackable? It didn't matter of course. The information had come to him anonymously. It was probably a righteous follower of the one Rao who feared retribution from the government if he were discovered. Jax-Ur only knew him by a symbol and an alias. Perhaps it was a gift from Rao. In any case, Jax-Ur knew he would use the weapon and he knew exactly where it would be targeted. The city of the gods. The old lies of of the polytheists would come crashing down when their precious city was destroyed. Jax-Ur had an attack to plan but he knew that some day, in this life or the next, he would have the opportunity to thank his mysterious benefactor, obviously a techno-genius who desired a return to the days of Rao just as much as he. This attack would see more and more people abandon the technological nightmare and like Jax-Ur, this "Brainiac" would be revered as someone who led the way.

The City of Kandor. The City of the Gods. It was ancient. Dating back to long before the tribal wars, all the way back to the dawn of civilization, Kandor was the most important city on the planet. Before the age of enlightenment, it was thought that Kandor was built by Rao himself for his children to call home in the days before Ton-El and Sora Lor-Kryp. In truth, the city may have been the first of its kind, the first location of civilization on the planet. But it was built by man, not gods. Of course the old city had long since disappeared, buried under the weight of progress. What stood there now was an eclectic mix of modern architecture and ancient ruins. The ruins were tourist attractions and the sight of pilgrimages from all over the planet. The city of the gods, the holy city was home to many of the great houses. The House of El had its roots there. It was the home of the first unified government, following the peace treaty after the Tribal Wars. Of course it's links with polytheist beliefs meant that it could not be the capital of the new unified Krypton. Kryptonopolis was built as a symbol of unity among all faiths, for all the people of Krypton. But Kandor was still a holy place for many.

It was fitting then that Black Zero would target Kandor. But the scale of the attack was something that nobody could have imagined. It was during the final years of the Tribal Wars, at the height of nuclear destruction, that the "Alliance of the Many," followers of the many gods, developed a new space based weapon delivery system. Even as the first scientists were making discoveries about the age of the sun, the Alliance was secretly building a satellite that would house a number of nuclear warheads and orbit the planet. But peace came and so it remained in orbit, never to be used and forgotten by most. It was this weapons platform that Jax-Ur and Black Zero were going to use. Perhaps a single missile would have been enough but Jax-Ur wanted to make a statement. There were twelve warheads on the platform. He would use all twelve.

There was no early warning system. Old monitoring stations had fallen into disrepair, often with just a handful of people asleep at their consoles. They didn't see the weapons platform begin to open up as it flew through space. They didn't see the missiles homing in on their targets, rockets firing as a dozen nuclear warheads sped towards the planet below at terrifying speed. Nobody in Kandor knew what was coming. They set about their lives, adhering to typical daily routines, oblivious of the coming doom. Everybody saw the flash of light. It was the last thing they saw.

"The whole city is just...gone." Jor-El commented, safe inside his radiation suit as he and the rest of the task force explored what was left after the attack.

"Vaporized." Zod responded as he glanced down at a radiation meter. "The radiation here is immense."

"Yes it is, but you don't understand. Kandor is just gone. There is nothing left. Not a single piece of debris, nothing."

"What are you saying Jor-El? This isn't what you expected. Those were twelve warheads. Twelve. You're standing in a crater five miles wide. What did you think you'd find?"

"Something. Anything. Aside from the crater and the radiation, there is nothing to suggest a nuclear attack."

"That isn't enough?" Faora asked, listening in on the conversation. "Kandor was home to over a million people Jor-El."

:"But that's just it. You would never know anyone lived here. Even with twelve warheads there should be some signs of civilization Some indication that there was a city here. Debris, rubble, charred remains. But look around. It's almost as if the city was never here."

"Listen to yourself Jor-El. What are you suggesting? That the nukes were just for show? That somebody stole Kandor and tried to cover it up with twelve nuclear explosions? That's ridiculous."

"I'm not suggesting anything Faora. It just feels wrong."

"Of course it's wrong," Zod replied angrily. "All of this is wrong. We were supposed to stop this sort of thing from happening. Sometimes you think too much Jor-El."

They were silent then as they surveyed the scene. Within the crater, the ground appeared to be a sickly green colour, irradiated by the twelve blasts. Nobody had ever seen anything like it and nothing made any sense. Black Zero had somehow hacked the unhackable. They had utterly destroyed the city of the gods. Not a trace of Kandor was left behind. Then there was the tip off. According to Zod, someone within Black Zero had giving Military Intelligence the means to track the signal through the weapons platform and back to its source. Jor-El suspected that this apparent defector may have been the same person to hack the weapons platform in the first place. Perhaps he had been as shocked and dismayed as the rest of Krypton after the attack. They didn't know his face or even his name. The only clue to the Black Zero agent's identity was a symbol – three connected circled positioned like a triangle. Whoever it was, they seemed to want Black Zero brought to justice and Zod was happy to oblige.

"This isn't military technology. It wasn't designed for this." Jor-El stated, defiant to the last.

"Will it work or not?" Zod asked, his voice stern, demanding.

"Of course it will work. But it was created to send a probe into space, not to make a tank fly." Jor-El didn't hate the military but he felt uneasy about the idea of something he'd invented being used for military purposes. He was a man of science. He was dedicated to progress. War was something from the past in his eyes. An evil that man had to overcome if it was to survive. But as Jor-El argued, he knew in his heart that he would give in. The Science Council would force him to if he refused and ultimately, despite his anti-war stance, Jor-El wanted to see Jax-Ur and his followers brought to justice.

"Will it really make it fly?" Zor-El asked as he stared at the massive tank in front of him.

"Fly is a strong word. I still have a lot of work to do. It requires a lot of energy so at most it will hover a few feet off the ground. But I haven't said yes yet."

"Yet?" Zod asked, picking up on Jor-El's tone. He knew his friend would relent.

"You know what I meant."

"Yes I do. But you must understand Jor-El, there are no roads in the mountains. Even if there were, our scans indicate that Black Zero have placed sensors all around the compound. Any vibrations from a vehicle rolling across that terrain will alert them. But if our vehicles didn't touch the ground, the sensors wouldn't go off. You said they would run silently with your technology so that's another advantage."

"How does it even work?" Zor-El asked.

"It's actually pretty simple. The device creates a magnetic field that's attuned to the polarity of the planets magnetic field, effectively allowing the device, and whatever it's attached to, to push against it and take off. By strengthening and weakening the field, the vehicle can go higher or come in for a landing and by adjusting the position of the device, it allows the vehicle to be steered."

Faora and Zod didn't have a clue what Jor-El was talking about. Zor-El had a vague idea but he was a politician and didn't have his brothers keen interest in engineering. In the end, the how didn't matter just as long as the thing worked.

"Don't worry Jor-El, maybe they'll name it after you." Zod said with a laugh. "The Jor-El Car. Has a ring to it don't you think?"

"Sure. Because that's exactly why I built it. Fame and notoriety," Jor-El replied with an unmistakable sarcastic tone.

At the Black Zero compound deep in the Jewel Mountains, Jax-Ur watched broadcasts from around the world. The story was always the same – the destruction of Kandor. But as he watched the coverage, something seemed strange to him. He may have lost his mind but the man of science he once was still existed somewhere within him. As images of the destruction appeared on his holo-screen, it didn't look right. Where were the ruins? The rubble? The crumbling buildings? The scattered debris? Kandor was gone. The attack had succeeded but it was almost as if it had been removed rather than destroyed. Still, victory belonged to Black Zero. The holy city was no more.

Jax-Ur didn't hear the call to arms outside his quarters. He didn't hear the gunfire as Zod led a team through the cave systems. But he did hear the explosion of a tank shell as it crashed against the mountainside. No alarms had gone off to warn of any enemy approach. There was no warning. Jax-Ur switched the holo screen to show the images from the security stations around the compound. What he saw amazed him. Trucks, tanks, transports all hovering above the ground, easily steering around all obstacles, natural or otherwise. He recognized the technology immediately. Jax-Ur's best student had often talked about the possibility of using the planets magnetic field to defy gravity.

"Well done Jor-El. Well done indeed." Jax-Ur said with an amount of pride. For just a second, the real danger he faced escaped him as the old Jax-Ur made himself known. But that second passed quickly. As the door was blown open, the sound bounced off the cave walls, deafening Jax-Ur. Smoke filled the room as Zod entered, leading a team of highly trained soldiers.

Zod aimed his rifle at Jax-Ur. His finger was on the trigger. All it would take was a little squeeze. But Zod believed in justice. He knew that Jax-Ur had to stand trial and answer for his crimes. In the end, Jax-Ur could have resisted but he was a coward. He was a coward on Wegthor and he was a coward here. Losing his mind didn't change his core nature.

Coward wasn't a word that could be used to describe the rest of Black Zero though. They all fought. Whether with rifles or their hands, they were determined to go down fighting. Zod found himself protecting and saving Jax-Ur just has he had done on Wegthor. But this time he was saving the once celebrated scientist from being killed "in glory" by his own followers. In the end, everyone in the compound made sure to be killed by their enemy rather than allowing themselves to be captured. Everyone except Jax-Ur.

When the news broke of Jax-Ur's capture, it was a time to rejoice. Not only had a genocidal maniac been captured but he was freely giving up information of Black Zero cells across the planet. Within six months, Major Zod had been promoted to Colonel as he personally led soldiers in battle, eliminating almost one hundred separate terrorist cells. He was the most respected man in the military and his rise through the ranks was meteoric. The House of Zod was cementing its place in Krypton's history though the tragedy of the circumstances surrounding his rise was not lost on him. Jor-El too found himself becoming more famous and respected. Within two years of Jax-Ur's capture, the technology behind the "Jor-El Car" was being adapted for general vehicle use. He was also given access to all of Jax-Ur's research into trans-dimensional gateways. While practical experiments were banned due to the Wegthor explosion, Jor-El hoped to find a way to open a much safer gateway to travel across the universe. He had theories of his own and with the support of the Science Council, he now had the time and backing he needed to explore them.

But first, he had to complete his long-delayed project with Lara Lor-Van. With rocket technology being phased out, it was up to Jor-El's anti-grav technology to launch the probe. Jor-El himself hated that term. "It isn't anti-gravity," he would tell Lara frequently, "it's all about magnetic fields. Gravity has nothing to do with it." Lara in turn would smile, call it anti-gravity again, just to see how long Jor-El would continue to argue before he realised she was teasing him.

The probe was on its way to the sun on the day Jor-El asked Lara to bond with him. Marriage on Krypton was a sacred act. The union of two beings in love was modeled after the relationship between the legendary Ton-El and Sora Lor-Kryp. As such it wasn't to be entered into lightly. Before Jor-El could even ask Lara to be his life partner, he had to request permission from her parents. Her mother loved the idea but it was Lor-Van, her father who put Jor-El through his paces, asking question after question for well over an hour. Marrying into the House of El was indeed a privilege but Lor-Van was far more concerned with his daughter's happiness than any social benefits. His approval of the union meant a lot for Jor-El. But convincing her father to allow it was the easy part. Actually asking Lara was a different matter entirely.

His mind raced, firing a million random thoughts through his synapses as he tried to form the right words. First he took the logical approach. "You and I are compatible. Physically, emotionally. We have shared interests." It didn't go down very well. When he tried the heartfelt approach, the great Jor-El found himself lost for words. In the end, Lara kissed him and told him to just ask the question she knew he was trying to ask. "Lara, daughter of Lor-Van, will you bond with me in marriage before Rao?"

She said maybe. "If the probe lasts long enough in the sun to send back data then I will say yes."

It was an anxious two days as they awaited the probes arrival at its destination. As it plunged into the heart of the sun, Lara and Jor-El watched their screens with baited breath. They knew it would take a few minutes for the data to be sent back. They waited. And waited. Finally numbers began appearing on the screen, quickly interpreted by the computer and processed into readable data. It only lasted four seconds. The probe had obviously been destroyed. Lara studied the data.

"It's strange," she commented, "we seem to have caught the tail end of an energy spike, like the ones the satellites picked up, but it dissipated in less than a second. It must be an anomaly brought on by the intense heat.

Jor-El didn't care about the data. He just gazed at Lara, waiting. Eventually she caught his gazed and looked at him slightly puzzled. "What?"

"We received data."

"Only four seconds worth," Lara replied. "I'm not sure that counts." She tried to hide a grin as she spoke.

"Four seconds is a lifetime."

"That it is. I suppose I did promise." Lara said, following it up with a fake sigh. "Oh alright, I guess I could bond with you."

Jor-El's face was a mixture of relief and confusion and finally joy. Years of work for just four seconds of data didn't matter. What mattered was that Lara had said yes. There were no long engagements and they were married inside a month, not that they had time to enjoy any kind of honeymoon though. Jor-El was assigned to the Science Council as an advisor which kept him pretty busy. Any time he had at their home on the outskirts of Kryptonopolis was building a laboratory. Lara meanwhile found herself heading up the Solar Dynamics division. But with their careers taking off, they still found time for each other though not as much as either would have liked.

The career of Dru-Zod was also taking off. Declared a hero of Krypton for his capture of Jax-Ur, he gave evidence at the ongoing trial. Like Jor-El, Zod was assigned to the Science Council as an advisor. It had been said that Jor-El was the obvious choice to fill the next open seat on the Council. It was an honour that Zod would be denied. The constitution declared that no military personnel could sit on the Science Council. Zod was instead given a different honour. On his first day as an advisor, he was brought before the Council. Zod was famous. But more than that he was a brilliant strategist and had the support of the military and civilians alike. So the decision to promote him yet again was an easy one for the Council to make.

"Dru-Zod, you will kneel before this council."

As soon as the order was given, Zod knew exactly what would happen. He knelt in front of the Council members. He recited the oath of loyalty. The same oath he recited when he first signed up to the military. The ceremony was brief. His rise through the ranks had seen him become an icon and now the name of the House of Zod would live forever. He would establish a great military dynasty. He smiled as the head of the council conferred on him his new rank.

"Now rise and serve the people – General Zod."


	4. Chapter 4

**Four**

"_The powerful often neglect their duties in protecting the weak. The only logical solution is to make the weak powerful so that they may protect themselves." Anara Von-El_

They sat around the table. All six of them. The great scientist Jor-El, inventor of the magnetic conductor, more commonly known as the anti-gravity engine. After the struggle with Black Zero, this technology, initially owned by the military, was converted for civilian use. The Jor-El Car became the thing to own. While powered down significantly from the version of the anti-gravity engine used to send probes into space, it allowed for vehicles to hover several feet above ground, changing the way the people of Krypton travelled forever. As an advisor to the Science Council, Jor-El had access to Jax-Ur's research and hoped to find a solution to the problem of interstellar travel.

Beside him sat his wife Lara. Heading up the solar dynamics division of the Astronomy Institute, Lara was making great strides in understanding the nature of the sun. She had grown up hearing stories of the great Rao from her father and so the chance to explore and understand the sun god was something of a dream for her. They were all just stories of course. The sun wasn't a deity. It was just a giant ball of gas. But even so, the majesty of its existence and of its terrible and glorious power fascinated her and she still found herself praying to Rao whenever she needed something to reach for.

Zor-El sat across from them with his wife Alura. Zor-El had taken a lot of heat for not seeing the rise of Black Zero coming. Argo City was a Raoist city. Zor-El had battled for years to ensure lasting peace and stability. Black Zero's campaign under Jax-Ur had devastated Krypton and on a more personal level, destroyed Zor-El's chances of ever sitting on the Science Council. Following the destruction of Kandor and Jax-Ur's eventual capture, Zor-El bowed out of public life, retiring to a small villa on the outskirts of Argo City with his wife and daughter. Alura was very much the politician's wife. She smiled and embraced her husbands friends and colleagues, hosted banquets for important people and stood alongside her husband. But with Zor-El's retirement, Alura was able to go back to teaching. It had been her passion. During Zor-El's political career, Alura had to contain herself to only teaching her daughter. She was proud to do so but now she had the chance to teach a lot more children and young Kara was only a few years away from enrolling in the Academy where she would choose her career path.

"Is Kara not joining us?" Faora asked as she sat down next to her husband Zod.

"Oh she has the first of her intelligence tests in the morning," Alura answered, "so she's having an early night."

Faora was once Zod's superior. In fact she was his drill sergeant at military school. Their relationship didn't begin until Zod graduated despite the clear attraction between them. They were bonded barely a year later and she had been by his side ever since. Zod's meteoric rise through the military gave him enough influence to see that his wife also succeeded, hand picking her to be part of the Black Zero Task Force. But his relationship with her didn't affect his decision making. Faora's selection was completely merited. She was the best marksman he had ever come across and her leadership abilities on the field were undeniable. Zod respected her military mind as much as he loved the rest of her.

"So I hear your gateway generator is almost ready." Zod said as he gathered some vegetables up with his fork.

"And who told you that?" Jor-El asked in response.

"Oh I have a lot of spies in your lab."

Jor-El followed Zod's eyes and turned to Lara. "You didn't."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." Lara replied in a guilty tone. "He asked me about my research and I mentioned that you were nearly done with your project and had offered to help me out. It just slipped out."

"Well Zod is evil that way," Jor-El commented with a chuckle.

"Well as soon as you're ready to test it you should inform the Science Council. They'd like me to be there to observe. They're concerned about what happened on Wegthor. A lot of lives have been lost in the last year."

"It's perfectly safe I assure you. Jax-Ur's concept was ambitious but wrong. He tried to rip a hole through time and space."

"And that's not what you're doing?" Zor-El asked, feigning interest in a subject that went way over his head.

"No," Jor-El replied confidently, "what I'm doing is very different. Rather than try to tear apart the universe, my process opens the door to a sub dimension. It's like a compressed version of the entire universe but it exists without solid matter. If you were to enter it without a means of getting out you'd be like a ghost."

"On second though, save it until the test. I'm too hungry to try to get my head around this stuff." Zod said with a grin before stuffing his mouth with a fork-full of food. Their voices were replaced by the sound of food being chewed for the next few moments. It was Alura who eventually thought of the next topic of conversation.

"So Jor-El," she said as Jor-El raised his eyebrows in response, unable to speak with the mouthful of vegetables being ground up between his teeth. "Your brother tells me you're a shoe-in for the vacant Council seat."

Jor-El took a moment to swallow his food before replying. "I wouldn't say that. I'm an advisor, nothing more. A seat on the Council requires not only the support of the Councilors, but also of the Academies and the votes of the Twelve Cities. I'm a long way from the Council."

"Nonsense," Zor-El interjected, "I happen to know that the Twelve Cities view you as the perfect candidate. As far as the Academies go, your actions on the task force have completely enforced the respect everyone has for you."

"The Council needs you Jor-El," Zod added. "They need someone with a backbone. The Science Council isn't what it once was. Fear has taken hold. Black Zero may have been defeated but in some ways they achieved exactly what they wanted to. The Council is much more cautious. They've started arresting sympathizers, even ordinary Raoists. Not to mention the slowdown on technological development."

"What do you mean?" Lara asked.

"Your husband's project is the only active research pressing forward. I'm sorry to say that your Solar Dynamics division is to be shut down."

"What?" Lara's voice was a mixture of shock and dismay. "I haven't heard anything about that."

"You will." Zod responded solemnly. They're afraid. Afraid of another Jax-Ur. Your research is based on his, Jor-El. They're only allowing you to continue because they have plans of their own for the technology. Space exploration is the furthest thing from their minds. Why do you think I'll be at the test? They want me to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't freak out the way Jax-Ur did and get everyone killed. I'm supposed to be their spy."

"I'm sure that's not the case," Jor-El said, trying to hide the wavering doubt in his voice.

"You'll see. You must take up the vacant seat. The Council needs new blood and new ideas. The past couple of years have filled them with fear."

Jor-El pondered Zod's words. The Council had been on edge ever since the tragedy on Wegthor. This was unsurprising but even he had to admit that while they certainly weren't leaning towards Black Zero's idea of abandoning technology, progression in many scientific fields seemed to be stalling.

The Science Council sat in the Tribunal Hall, facing into the room. Directly in front of them, 25 citizens, gathered from around the planet prepared to deliver their verdict as Jax-Ur watched from the dock, awaiting his fate. Since his capture and rehabilitation therapy he had declared himself a changed man. He did not defend his actions. His mind, psychologically destroyed by the Wegthor incident, had been repaired. He was sane again and ready to face the consequences. He knew he was guilty. Guilty of treason. Guilty of crimes against the people, guilty of murder. Guilty of genocide. The 25 member jury didn't have to tell him that. This day would confirm what he already knew.

The chief juror stood up. The proceedings were being broadcast around the world. "Jax-Ur, we find you guilty on all accused crimes."

And that was it. A sigh of relief went around the Tribunal Hall, a sigh that was shared around the world. There was no cheering, no celebrating in the streets. The pain was still too near. The tribunal was adjourned. It would reconvene in a month for sentencing.

General Zod entered the lab. Lara was there to greet him, offering him a hot drink and a pair of protective goggles. Jor-El was busy making some last-minute calculations, quadruple checking his figures.

"You can rest easy, the spy is here," Zod joked. Jor-El ignored him as he went over his data one last time. Everything had to be perfect. Nothing could be left to chance. Zod stood beside Lara, watching as Jor-El and his technicians prepared the machine.

"You're late." Lara commented with a smirk.

"It couldn't be helped. A briefing with the other generals went long. They do a lot of talking but most of them haven't seen any action."

"Good thing we have the warrior general at hand then."

"We're ready." Jor-El stated, more to himself than anything.

"Well that's good. So how does this all work then?" Zod asked, "and please give me the abbreviated version."

"Oh it's quite simple really. This machine here opens a doorway to a sub dimension."

"He calls it the Phantom Zone," Lara said, suppressing a laugh. Jor-El glared at his wife for a moment before carrying on.

"Yes well, it's not an inaccurate description. We're dealing with another dimension here, a compressed universe that exists on another plane. If my theory is correct, we should be able to send a probe through and bring it to an exit point somewhere else in the galaxy. Long exposure to the sub dimension, or Phantom Zone, will see the probe begin to shift out of our dimension, losing all mass."

"Hence, phantoms." Zod commented, a following his friend's logic.

"Exactly. Jax-Ur's machine operated under the assumption that you could essentially take a shortcut through through the structure of the universe. This required a lot of energy to open a hole, creating a mini-singularity. The negative energy was supposed to counteract the extreme gravitational forces. It's clear to me now that his whole theory was flawed. Jax-Ur didn't account for the enormous energy output or the existence of parallel dimensions operation of frequencies close to our own. My device creates a stable path to the pocket dimension and then generates a way out. If we can keep the path open on this end, the probe should be able to transmit information through the Phantom Zone, allowing us to scan other regions of the galaxy for habitable worlds." Jor-El spoke in an excited tone, knowing what a successful test could mean for the future of the Kryptonian people.

Lara picked up on his excitement and was quick to put things in perspective. "Calm down Jor, we have a million years to find a new world. All of our problems don't need to be solved overnight. Concentrate on a successful test before you start thinking about saving the world."

" I know, you're right of course. Let's get started."

It was more than just a light show. Jor-El had two devices. One was was placed on a secure station to open the path to the Phantom Zone and keep it open. The second device was on the small probe that would be sent through and would allow the probe to open a new path out of the Phantom Zone. There was an intense flash of light as the path to the Phantom Zone was opened. Flashes of energy emitted from the growing gateway were captured by conductors placed around the test area. After a few seconds, the gateway stabilized. Jor-El decided to wait a few minutes, constantly monitoring readouts with his finger hovering above the kill switch. If there was any indication of a possible repeat of the Wegthor disaster, he was determined to take the necessary steps to prevent it. But Jor-El's calculations were sound.

"Is that it?" Zod asked after five minutes had passed. Jor-El swallowed hard and followed it up by a deep breath. A few commands into the console and the probe was taking off from its launch station. As it disappeared into the Phantom Zone, everyone in the lab watched with baited breath. They waited, and waited. Readings were coming through, scanned data from within the Phantom Zone. And then, nothing. Had the probe been destroyed? Had the time between entering the Zone and losing all its mass been shorter than Jor-El had anticipated?

The answer was none of the above. The readings started again but it wasn't the chaos of the Phantom Zone. It was distant stars and dark matter. Signals from distant pulsars, light from a nearby star cluster. As the data came through, Jor-El began checking star patterns trying to determine the location of the probe.

"Well it works," one of the technicians commented, in awe of the data coming through.

"Any idea where it is?" Lara asked.

"Hold on, let me confirm this," Jor-El replied as he poured over star charts and compared them to the data. "I think...yes, the Denarin Drift."

"That's seven hundred light years away." Lara exclaimed.

"And that's far?" Zod asked, only half joking.

"You could say that."

Jor-El took another look at the data before turning to his wife. Within moments they were face to face and he was kissing her.

"I take it that means we have a successful test then," Zod said, chuckling as Lara and Jor-El broke their kiss. "The Council will be wanting a report."

And with that Zod was gone. The next big achievement came when the probe came flying through the Phantom Zone, back to the lab before resting on the launch pad, looking none the worse after its trip across the galaxy. For the next few hours, Jor-El sent the probe through the Phantom Zone, programming it to activate it's device at different time intervals. Jor-El had theorized that traveling to another section of the galaxy wasn't about distance, it was about time. Depending on the time interval between entering and exiting the Phantom Zone, the probe would exit in different areas of the galaxy. He had pondered whether an extended period of time would allow the probe to emerge in an entirely different galaxy but he determined that such a time interval would cause the probe to lose it's mass and transition into the pocket dimension. But he was content just to explore this galaxy and see what he could learn.

When Zod returned hours later, Jor-El had gathered more data from the galaxy around Krypton in those hours than their greatest telescopes had in hundreds of years. There was a lot of data to analyze, a lot of exit points to map. He would have loved to have continued mapping the galaxy until he had gathered all the data he would ever need. But that wasn't to be. Zod's face told the story. The news from the Science Council wasn't what he wanted though deep down he may have suspected it.

"Their pleased with your progress," Zod stressed, "and they want you to begin studying the data immediately."

"But...?"

"I'm afraid they don't want any more expeditions. They would like to take the device and study it for themselves. They've also ordered you not to make any of your findings public for the time being."

"What could they possibly want with it?" Lara asked.

"I don't know. I think they want to control the flow of information. They're afraid that if word gets out about the experiment that people will mistrust them. Especially if they discover that it's based on Jax-Ur's research. They want to make sure they control any significant technology. I told you this would happen. They're afraid. Afraid of Black Zero."

"Black Zero is gone," Lara replied with a defiant tone.

"But their legacy remains. I've just heard that Jax-Ur's sentencing is to take place behind closed doors." Zod answered. He wasn't liking the changes taking place within the Science Council.

"Prepare the devices for transport." Jor-El ordered, resigning himself to studying the data he had already gathered for the foreseeable future though he had to admit he was relishing the chance to sort through all that data. He had hoped that a successful test would mean that he could work on building a larger craft for a manned mission through the Phantom Zone but that would have to wait.

"That's the thing," Zod said with a smirk, "they don't know there's two devices."

"What good is one device?" Lara asked, "We can't send probes through without a way to get back."

"Perhaps," Jor-El replied, "but it would allow me to start work on fitting the device to a manned ship.

"We don't have any manned ships lying around."

"Not yet." Jor-El responded to his wife, smiling as he did, a plan forming in his mind.

In the weeks that followed, Jor-El poured through vast amounts of data. It was overwhelming at times. So many pictures. So much numerical data. The computers he had at his disposal helped of course but much of the data required Jor-El's personal vetting. A map of the galaxy began to take shape. Of course for all the data at is fingertips it accounted for just a fraction of the entire galaxy. He was able to confirm the existence of planets around distant stars that had once just been theorized. While the goal of his research wasn't to search for life, it was something that was in the back of his mind.

During these eventful weeks, Jor-El's nomination to the Science Council gained the support of the Twelve Cities and the Academies. The Twelve Cities were so called as they were the twelve most powerful cities during the era of nation states. When the planet was unified, the Twelve Cities selected one person each to ascend to the Science Council. The oldest of the cities, Kandor, was gone, apparently destroyed by Black Zero though Jor-El had long suspected an outside influence of playing a role. He couldn't prove anything and had kept his opinions to himself. The destruction of Kandor, and with it the representative from that city, meant a spot had opened up on the Council. Kryptonopolis was not one of the Twelve Cities. It was created to be a united home for a united government. Jor-El's father had once served as Kandor's representative and it was thought that Jor-El would be a future member of the Council. This was to be the case though he wouldn't be officially sworn in until after Jax-Ur's sentencing.

His wife was very proud of him. Jor-El's achievements were finally being recognised. But for him, the most important thing was dealing with the moment. His future could wait. He had data to sort through.

"OK then, two hundred and seventeen star systems mapped. So what's next?" Jor-El asked himself as he sat alone in his lab, recording his findings as he made them. "Alright, it seems we have an eight world system. Hmm...yellow sun. A couple of asteroid belts. There's an interesting hum coming through. I'm going to try to isolate it. What are these? Radio waves? No sign of any pulsars in the region. They seem to be coming from the third planet. There appears to be an audio visual component. It must be feedback from the probe...just like the last eight times this happened."

Jor-El punched a few keys, inputting commands into the console. He didn't speak for the next five minutes. He couldn't. Images appeared on the screen. Thousands of them. And there were voices. A strange language. Men and women. Could he be watching old broadcasts from hundreds of years ago on Krypton? No that was impossible. It was almost four thousand light years away. Jor-El didn't dare dream that the impossible could be true, Another world? Another race of man? Impossible. Even if life existed elsewhere in the galaxy, the chances of that life looking almost exactly like mankind as he knew it on Krypton were astronomical. But here it was. The evidence was staring at him.

"This is real," Jor-El said as he stood before the Science Council. "This world exists. Another Krypton. The probe picked up just five minutes of broadcasts from this world. Imagine what else we could learn?"

"And what have you learned?" one of the Council members asked.

"There appears to be no common language. A few of these broadcasts appear to share the same language. I've begun work on translations but there is very little reference material. I believe I'm beginning to understand though. From what I can tell, this world is home to men and women who, externally at least, are just like us."

"Externally?"

"Their planet orbits a yellow star. There's no telling what kind of effect it will have had on that planets ecosphere and on their evolution. From what I've been able to translate so far, it appears that the name of the planet is Earth. I have yet to establish any meaning to that word beyond a name."

"Who knows of your discovery?" another Councillor asked.

"Myself, my wife, General Zod and now you."

"Good, good let's keep it that way. We don't want to incite panic."

"Panic?" Jor-El asked, flabbergasted, "this changes everything we know about life in the universe. We need to establish research teams, we need to go there. First contact could be key."

"First contact? From what I've seen of this data, these "Earth" people as you call them are prone to violence."

"It needs further study at the very least. This is monumental."

"Nobody is saying that it isn't Jor-El," another Council member added, "but consider the consequences. Imagine what would happen if it was revealed that there was another world out thee with people who look just like us? The Raoists would have a field day. They would claim divine intervention and see it as a sign of the glory of Rao. Or perhaps they would see this world as being a home to demons, to the fallen people who rejected Rao. It could start another war on our own planet. We have more important things to discuss today. Have you forgotten Jax-Ur's sentencing? We must deal with that. Then we will study the ramifications of your discovery. Only then will we make a decision. You are ordered to remain silent on this issue until we reach a decision. Is that clear?"

Jor-El reluctantly agreed. Zod was watching from the sidelines. A new world meant new possibilities and the Science Council was burying their heads in the sand. In his eyes they had been corrupted by their own ignorance and fear.

"We will speak no more of this today," the Council President commanded. "General Zod. You will bring Jax-Ur to this chamber immediately.

Zod followed orders. Two of his men brought Jax-Ur into the chamber. He stood silently. His fate was sealed and he knew it.

"Jax-Ur," the Council President began, "you have been found guilty of terrible crimes. Long ago, such crimes would have resulted in your execution but as you know, the planetary constitution outlawed the death penalty. Life in prison would appear to be the only sentence this Council could give you. But the weight of your crimes cannot be ignored. This Council will not defy the constitution. We will not sentence you to death. However your sentence will be served in a place of our choosing."

The Council President glanced at Jor-El. The scientist suddenly knew what was about to happen. He could feel it in his bones. It suddenly made sense. Why did the Science Council want his gateway generator? What use could they have? Now he knew.

"Thus it has been decided that you will serve out a prison sentence to be no shorter than four hundred years in the sub dimension known as the Phantom Zone."

Zod's eyes widened. Jor-El could sense it coming but hearing the words still shocked him. This couldn't happen. The Phantom Zone wasn't a prison.

"This is wrong. You can't do this," Jor-El pleaded. "We don't know what effect the Phantom Zone will have on him. This is outrageous. I won't go along with it."

"You have been elected to this Council Jor-El but you have no power here until you are sworn in."

The room darkened as Jor-El's device descended from the ceiling. A flash of light later and the gateway to the Phantom Zone was open.

"Stop this!" Jor-El shouted. "This is a death sentence. A living death without form."

"Our own research shows that although he will lose his physical form, his consciousness will still exist."

"But he will feel every change, experience every moment. I have no love for this man. He was a mentor and he betrayed me. He betrayed us all. But this? We're better than this. We have to be better than this."

"Enough!" the Council member said forcefully. "General Zod, you will bring the prisoner forward and ensure he enters the Phantom Zone.

"No I won't." Zod said defiantly. "I won't do your dirty work for you. This is a disgrace and I won't be a part of it."

And with that, Zod walked out. Jor-El soon followed. They didn't see Jax-Ur entering the Phantom Zone. But they heard him. They heard his agonized screams. They stood outside the Council Chamber together, trying to digest what was transpiring through the doors behind them.

"I'm done." Zod stated. "I told you their fear would drive them to madness. I can't stand by and watch them corrupt the whole planet."

"You said it yourself Zod, they're afraid. But things can change."

"Change? Change Jor-El? I can't believe you're defending them. Look at what they've done."

"I'll take my seat on the Council. Give them time. I'll do what I can to make them see what they are doing can't go on."

"Then stay. Do what you have to do. I won't be a part of this."

They stood in silence then for a moment as the flashing light of the Phantom Zone gateway appearing under the door disappeared. There were no more screams. It was done.

"Tell me," Zod began to ask, "can he survive in there?"

"I think so. He won't have form. He won't know anything except the slow passage of time. But he should be alive although I'm not sure I'd call that living."

Zod nodded as he began to walk away. He needed to compose himself. His thoughts were taking him to dark places. To terrifying conclusions. Perhaps Jor-El could change things once he was on the Council. Or maybe their corrupted spirits would change him. Maybe Jor-El would become part of the system. Change was needed but it was becoming clear to Zod that it wouldn't come from within the Council. Jor-El was a friend. He was a brilliant scientist. But he wasn't a politician. He wasn't a leader of worlds.

"What are you going to do?" Jor-El asked, calling after him. Zod didn't answer. He just kept walking. Maybe those dark thoughts were the answer. He had seen the corruption of Jax-Ur, the fear of the Science Council. There was another world out there. A world called Earth. Someday Krypton and Earth would come together as lost brothers across the galaxy. But Krypton was weak. It needed a strong leader. Someone to guide the people towards the future. It was in this moment that he thought of his own past, of the lack of nobility and legacy in the Zod blood line. He had been determined to forge a new destiny for the House of Zod. It was in this moment that for the first time, General Zod began to wonder if the leader that Krypton needed was him.


	5. Chapter 5

Five

"_Peace is not a guarantee. It is not a status quo that requires no effort to be maintained. Peace must be earned. It must be worked at and when it is achieved, it must be maintained. Peace is harder than war and that is why our world has struggled to embrace one and reject the other." - Seyg-El_

General Zod sat at the head of the table, his wife standing by his side. Before him sat six Generals, all allies of Zod, all known to have had disagreements with the Science Council in the past. Between the seven Generals sitting at the table, they commanded the loyalty of over a third of Krypton's military.

"You can't be serious," General Tar exclaimed, "you're talking about treason. Insurrection."

"You think I want this?" Zod asked in a solemn tone. "Do you believe if I thought there was any other way that I wouldn't take it? The Science Council is ruled by fear and doubt. They don't have the will to lead the people. Not anymore."

"I won't start a civil war. Not after everything the world has been through. Black Zero is gone. We have peace again. We have a chance to rebuild. I won't jeopardize that."

Zod nodded. He understood. Nobody wanted war. But sometimes war was inevitable, even necessary. He walked around the table to stand behind General Tar. Tar was a man he respected, someone who had put his faith in Zod and helped him rise through the ranks.

"I understand your position General. I'm sorry you won't be a part of this but I understand your reasons. Unfortunately I can't risk you telling the Science Council of my plans."

Tar didn't see Zod removing his ceremonial blade from it's sheath on his belt. He didn't see the blade come around over his shoulder. The others did. They remained silent. When Zod's blade cut across Tar's throat, some looked away but others watched with grim recognition of the necessity of the action. They would follow Zod to war. They would commit their troops to his cause. The Science Council needed to be removed. For Zod, there was one more piece of the puzzle. He needed an ally on the Council, someone who could facilitate the change, someone with the respect of the people of Krypton who would legitimize his actions.

* * *

><p>The sun had set by the time Jor-El arrived home. He was exhausted. He could spend hours pondering the mysteries of the universe and never fail to be enchanted by the complexity of creation. But talking politics was too much. Life on Krypton presented problems and inconveniences that the Science Council was expected to address. He had wanted to talk about his discoveries, about the world on the other side of the Phantom Zone that contained "human" life.<p>

Human – that's what they called themselves. Jor-El had gathered enough information to create an algorithm to translate the languages of that world to Kryptonese. It was far from perfect. He needed to gather more information but with the second Phantom Zone gateway generator under lock and key, it wouldn't be possible. His discovery should have changed everything. The odds of other species of man existing on alien worlds were beyond reasonable calculation. It flew in the face of religious and scientific beliefs. So it was kept secret. Never to be explored, never to be resolved. Krypton was in a delicate state and such a revelation would surely destabilize the world. That was the Council's position and Jor-El didn't have enough sway to change the minds of the other Councillors.

He was exhausted but studying the data he had managed to gather would rejuvinate him. Many of the broadcasts from the alien world appeared to be some form of entertainment. Others were clearly information transmissions, giving news to the masses. While the translator struggled to interpret the languages without more data, the pictures spoke for themselves. It was a violent world where equality appeared to be a myth. In many ways it wasn't too different to Krypton's violent past and fragile present. Jor-El estimated that their level of technology was a few centuries behind that which was enjoyed on Krypton. There was much to uncover about this new world and in time he hoped to convince the rest of the Council to allow him to do the uncovering. Before Jor-El could even contemplate looking over the data, his wife walked into the room. It took no more than a quick glance for Jor-El to determine that she wasn't in the best of moods.

"Well he was right. They actually did it." Lara declared.

"Who was right?"

"Zod," she replied. "The Solar Dynamics division was shut down. It isn't a viable project at this time – their exact words. I'm being transferred to the Geothermal research centre, starting next week."

"That's a good posting." Jor-El suggested, trying to ease his wife's anger.

"I studied geothermal energy for one year at the academy. Solar Dynamics was my dream. You know that."

"I know," Jor-El responded sympathetically, putting his arms around his wife, trying to comfort her. "I'm on the Council now. Perhaps I can persuade them to reverse the decision."

"Will they listen to you?"

"Probably not now, but in time."

Lara kissed her husband, then reached into her bag, pulling out a small datapad. "Every piece of information we managed to gather is on here. There was so much more to do." Lara put the datapad on the table and stared at it. It was to be her life's work. She had hoped that her research would help to create a better understanding of the sun and in her wildest dreams find ways to harness its power. A soft alarm signaling the arrival of someone at the house pulled her out of her contemplation. "I'll get it. You stay and relax," she said with a soft smile before leaving to answer the door.

Jor-El sat down and looked at Lara's datapad. Curious, he picked it up and began scanning through the information. He remembered the strange energy spikes that his solar probe had picked up and wondered if there was any indication that they were still occurring. Sure enough, the energy spikes were still happening. There seemed to be no apparent cause. He speculated that sun was burning up fuel at a faster rate than he'd expect from a red sun, but it was only speculation. It was certainly something worth exploring further but with the Solar Dynamics division having been shut down there were little resources to devote to such a project. Perhaps it was something he and Lara could look at themselves and try to extrapolate based on the data they already had. There were still satellites orbiting the sun and while not as sensitive as the probes Lara had been employing in her work, Jor-El was sure that they could at least provide some rudimentary information.

Jor-El's thoughts were interrupted as Zod announced himself. He was dressed in his ceremonial uniform but Jor-El noticed instantly that the insignia of the Science Council was missing from the left shoulder. There was something definitely off about Zod's appearance. It wasn't just his uniform. His stance appeared to reveal a grim determination.

"Would you like a drink?" Lara asked as she followed him into the room.

"No, I can't stay long, but thanks."

Jor-El motioned for Zod to sit but the General remained standing. He needed to convince his friend to join him in his efforts to cleanse Krypton. If Jor-El refused, old friends would become new enemies.

"Is something wrong?" Jor-El asked, concerned for his friend.

"Yes my friend. Something is very wrong and I need you on my side."

"Your side? What's going on?"

Zod thought about meandering around the obvious. He thought about sugar-coating the truth he had come to perceive. But he knew he needed to be blunt. He knew he needed to be straight with his friend. "War, Jor-El. War against the incompetent rulers of our world. Things need to change."

There was a stunned silence. Jor-El and Lara glanced at each other, unsure of what to make of what Zod was saying. Lara went to her husband's side. "You can't be serious," she declared.

"I'm afraid it's very serious Lara. I don't want this. We've all seen enough of war but this is necessary."

"We talked about this," Jor-El interjected. "I'm on the Council now. The best way to promote change is from within. I know I can make a difference."

"They will never listen to you Jor-El. If you stand up to them they will isolate you and you will become a spectator. The Science Council has the loyalty of much of the military. Much...but not all. I will force them out. Then together you and I can remake this world. We can make things better."

"So this is about power, is it?" Lara asked, gripping her husbands arm. "You don't want to change Krypton, you want to rule Krypton."

"It's not about what I want. It's about the future of this planet. The people deserve leaders who aren't afraid of the future. I want you by my side Jor-El. I want you both by my side."

"I can't." Jor-El responded, knowing it would be the end of their friendship. "The Science Council is far from perfect but overthrowing them? That isn't the answer. They are in power because the people want them to be."

"They are in power because the people don't have another choice." Zod retorted.

"So you offer them military dictatorship?" Lara asked with venom in her voice.

"Don't you understand?" Zod pleaded, "Jax-Ur, Black Zero, the loss of Kandor. It all goes back to them. To fear and chaos. Krypton needs stability. It needs order. I'm willing to fight for that. Why aren't you?"

"Because you can't achieve real change through war," Jor-El explained. "Krypton's history is violent. It took our people so long to find peace and then Black Zero struck. Krypton is so fragile right now that if you drag us into another war it will break us. You must see that."

"I do." Zod replied solemnly, "believe me I see it. But what's broken can be remade. Krypton can be stronger. It will be stronger. I don't want us to be enemies Jor-El."

"You're determined to do this?

"I am. I have to."

"Then we are enemies."

Jor-El reached for a communicator on his desk. He froze when Zod drew his pistol. They glared at each other for a moment. Even held at gunpoint, Jor-El was determined to stand strong.

"I can't allow you to contact the Council. Not yet. I won't kill you Jor-El. I will allow you to fight for the Council if you must."

"I won't be fighting for the Council. I'll be fighting for Krypton."

"As will I," Zod replied as he moved towards the door. "The next time we meet, I will pull the trigger."

And with that, Zod disappeared through the door. Lara and Jor-El looked at each other, both unsure about what had just happened. Jor-El picked up the communicator. War was coming and the Science Council would need to be ready.

* * *

><p>The Science Council was stunned when over a third of the military defected to Zod. He was charismatic and inspired loyalty but they never believed that so many of their Generals would follow him and take their troops with them. Dozens of bases across the planet declared themselves to be under his command.<p>

The Raoist city of Argo was the first to be attacked. Zod's forces marched into the city, overwhelming the local security forces. Zor-El, Allura and their daughter Kara were evacuated in the first wave. Though Zod hated Black Zero and what they stood for, he knew they had skills and resources he could use. Black Zero was no more but many ex-members and sympathizers resided in Argo City. Zod was a skilled negotiator and quickly made a deal to bring the remnants of Black Zero into the ranks. It was from Argo City that Zod made his broadcast to the world.

"_I am General Zod. I was the chief military advisor to the Science Council. Not anymore. As you are no doubt aware, my forces have seized control of Argo City and its surrounding area. I control one third of Krypton's armed forces. The Science Council have labelled me a traitor. I am not a traitor. I am a patriot. I care deeply about our world, our home. It is the Science Council who have betrayed you. It is they who hold this world back. It is they who keep us from realizing our potential. So as a patriot I have been forced to act. The time ahead will not be easy. Good people will die in this fight to save our future. It is an evil that must be endured as long as the Science Council hold on to power. To save Krypton I urge you all to consider who you are and who you want to be. Rise up and demand that the Science Council relinquish control to me. The Council would have us remain silent. They would have us kneel before them. I will hear your voices, I will stand beside you. Together we will build a new Krypton. A strong Krypton. I am a patriot. I am General Zod."_

His message was heard from the lowest valleys to the highest peaks. From the ash and dust of where Kandor once stood to the great towers of Kryptonopolis. The people heard. The people listened. The people rose up and made their voices heard. A cry rang out across Krypton. A cry of defiance. Of patriotism. They marched in their millions, calling out in one voice. A single word: NO!

No to General Zod. No to his rule. No to his war. The Science Council wasn't perfect. It needed to change. But the people of Krypton said no to Zod's way of changing things. It was this reaction from the people that made him doubt himself. Was he doing the right thing?

"They are sheep," Faora whispered in his ear as he lay in bed, his mind going over well drawn out plans of attack. "They follow the Science Council now. When you win this war they will follow you. They will bow to you. They will kneel before you."

Zod's resolve was strong. He would give the world a terrible war and they would thank him for it. He was sure of it. He had to be. He wondered if he was losing himself to his lust for power. He wondered but for a moment. "We will prevail." His words. His vision of a Krypton united under him would drive him. He would bring order to chaos. The House of Zod would be remembered forever.

* * *

><p>Jor-El's ears were ringing. Even miles from the front lines he could hear the explosions. He could feel the bullets speeding through the air. He could smell the blood of friends and foes falling on the battlefield. He wanted to fight. He wanted to be there with a gun in his hand to protect his home, his way of life, his family. But he couldn't. He wanted to hold a gun. He also wanted nothing more than to destroy that gun. To destroy all the guns. He had no taste for violence. No interest in killing his fellow man. He wondered if he had been allowed to fight on the front line, would he take up arms and kill his enemy? Would he pull the trigger? Was even the most noble of principles worth spilling blood for?<p>

As a Councillor he would never find out. As a scientist and engineer he would stay in the command centre. The Council wanted him to build weapons. They proposed a Phantom Zone bomb. One that would send their enemy into the chaos of the Phantom Zone. Such things were the stuff of nightmares and Jor-El thanked Rao that what they asked for was impossible. He found himself praying to Rao a lot. It confused him. He was a man of science. A man who had rejected superstition. Lara's family were religious and had insisted that they be married under the eyes of Rao. Jor-El said the words and made the vows. But his vows were to his wife, not to some mythical creator. Yet as the Scarlet Jungle burned in the fires of war, Jor-El prayed. He prayed for a quick end to the violence. He prayed for the safety of his wife. She wasn't well. It must have been the stress. She had been sick a lot lately. Zor-El called his brother an idiot. Jor-El wasn't sure why. Had he missed something? Had he not accounted for all the variables?

"She's been sick every morning for the past two weeks," Alura had reminded him. What did she know? Had Lara been poisoned? A plot by Zod perhaps? As he stood at the command centre, watching the battle unfold on monitors all around him, the war faded from his mind. Even as the stench of death blew in on the wind, he could only think of his wife.

"Congratulations. How far along is she?" Another Councillor had told him that. Perhaps she had gotten a new job at the academy and had neglected to tell him. The stress of work would certainly account for the sickness. She had been going to the Academy Observatory a lot. He remembered her talking about something she had seen. A new star perhaps? Yes that must have been it. The birth of a new star. A new star could someday breathe new life in that part of the universe. Jor-El looked up at the monitor. He saw the battle. He saw people dying. He declared to himself that life was a blessing. If Rao existed then it was surely his greatest gift and here they were, throwing it away.

Then it hit him. Like a bolt of lightning from the heavens. His brain seemed to reboot itself. Calculations went out of his head. He lost the ability to form coherent sentences. He tried to count to ten. He was stuck at 2. How could he not have seen it? How could the most brilliant mind on all of Krypton (Lara's words, he reminded himself) have missed the pattern so completely. He almost wanted to go out onto the battlefield, take that gun he despised and shoot his brain for being so smart and oh so stupid.

"She's pregnant." He said it louder than he really wanted to. After just a few seconds he had no memory of saying it at all. The looks he got from people around him in the command centre made no sense to him. What was their problem? Had he worn the wrong shoes? Why was he even thinking about shoes? His wife was pregnant. Wasn't she? It all made sense. Suddenly Jor-El was terrified. He could solve equations in minutes that others gave up on after a life time of dedication. He could build machines to travel through the Phantom Zone. He could even stomach the foul taste of battle. But could he be a father?

* * *

><p>General Zod aimed his rifle and fired. A fellow soldier fell. He fired again. Another soldier went down. Then another. He honoured their bravery. Their sacrifice. A sacrifice that had no meaning for him. They were fighting on the wrong side. Nonetheless it was a sacrifice worth noting. The war had raged for ten months. For ten months Zod and his army fought valiantly. For ten months they advanced across Krypton towards Kryptonopolis. For ten months, victory moved closer and closer.<p>

At least it's what he chose to believe. Zod's army had won battles. But as the war raged, more and more supposedly loyal soldiers abandoned the cause. The Generals who had allied themselves with him soon betrayed him. They lacked the courage to continue the fight. His ranks dwindled. A force of 5 million had been reduced to mere thousands in less than a year. The people had spoken. Families of loyal soldiers told their sons to come home and desert the mad man who led them. The soldiers listened.

It didn't matter. Zod couldn't win the war. He knew that all too well. But he didn't need to win. He needed Krypton to suffer. To feel pain. He had achieved that in spades. Over a million people had died in those ten months. Cities burned. The cries of widows deafened the still night. Victory wasn't about who controlled the most territory or who killed more soldiers. General Zod would rule Krypton with his wife at his side. Someday perhaps even Jor-El would see the light and serve under him. He just needed to reach Kryptonopolis. If he could get to the Science Council he would be able to take control of the planets orbital defense network. He could control the whole planet.

The weapons platform that had emptied itself on the city of Kandor had been restocked. It was the Science Council's last resort. Zod was sure that Jor-El knew nothing of it. But his source inside the government offices knew of it. He would never use it of course. Zod had witnessed the emptiness of where Kandor once stood. Even he would not repeat the actions of Black Zero. It was the line he would not cross. But the mere threat of nuclear destruction would see the planet fall into line. He just had to reach the Science Council.

* * *

><p>Jor-El paced back and forth. He heard the screams. She was in pain. She was in agony. She was in labour. He wanted to go in. He wanted to be with his wife. On the other hand he didn't want to faint. It wasn't traditional for the father to be with the mother as she was giving birth. It dated back to the story of Sora and Ton-El.<p>

"_And so Ton-El wandered into the wilderness as it was commanded by Rao. For eight days and eight nights he stayed far from his home yet he could hear the cries of his beloved as she brought the first son of the new people into the world. When he returned, Sora held the child and said to her husband: 'Here is your son. He is of you. He is of your blood. So shall he be named a son of El.' As they gazed upon their child, they spoke aloud to Rao and asked him for a name and Rao told them that the child should be named for the stars of his own lost children." _

The birth of the newest son of El didn't take eight days and eight nights. It was over in less than eight hours. When the screams of his wife stopped and the cries of his newborn son began, Jor-El rushed into the delivery room and looked upon his son for the first time. Jor-El wasn't religious. But as he looked at his son he knew his name. Like the son of Ton-El and Sora Lor-Kryp, the son of Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van would be named for the stars.

"Kal." It was a whisper. "Kal, a son of El. Kal of the House of El. The first son had been named as such. It was a name that only the House of El ever bestowed on a child. There was no law against other families using the name. Indeed there hadn't been a Kal in the House of El for many generations. But in his son, Jor-El saw hope. He saw hope that his son would live in a world free of the war that plagued Krypton these dark days. Kal. It literally meant "star" in ancient Kryptonese. The sons and daughters of Rao were made stars by their father.

"Kal-El," Lara spoke, a soft whisper for the child in her arms. Her heart still raced, her strength failing her. But she had strength enough to hold her son.

"Is he here yet?" Kara Zor-El asked, poking her head through the door. She didn't wait for an answer. She strode in, her father and mother behind her, trying to drag her bag to give the new parents some peace.

"It's alright. Come and say hello to your cousin," Lara offered.

Kara sat down on the edge of the bed, watching her new cousin as he struggled to keep his eyes open. "He's so small," she explaimed.

"So were you once," Alura reminded her. Kara responded with the glare of a teenager. Her attention soon returned to Kal-El.

"So what's his name?" Kara asked as if she hadn't been eavesdropping earlier. Everyone in the room knew that she was of course.

"Kal-El," Jor-El confirmed.

"Really?" Zor-El asked. "That's a big name for such a small child. Expecting great things?"

"Doesn't every parent?"

"I suppose you're right." Zor-El agreed with a laugh. "Well we'll leave you three to bond and to get some rest. Come on Kara."

"But I want to stay," Kara declared, one wrong remark away from throwing a tantrum.

"No buts. Leave them be." Alura commanded her daughter. Kara frowned. It quickly changed to a smile. Alura could only roll her eyes at her daughter's ever-changing moods.

"Don't worry Kara, little Kal-El isn't going anywhere," Lara assured her with a smile. "You'll make sure to look out for your new cousin, won't you?"

"You can count on me." Kara took one last look at Kal-El and followed her parents out of the room. Jor-El and Lara watched as their child drifted off to sleep.

"I think he's got the right idea." Jor-El commented, kissing his wife's forehead. "You should get some sleep too. You deserve it." Jor-El gathered his son into his arms and placed him on a small bed next to Lara. She smiled at her son, watching him as her eyes got heavy and she fell away into sleep. Jor-El took a moment to marvel at his family. His beloved wife. His son.

* * *

><p>Shots rang out. Argo City was falling. Troops abandoned their posts as the forces of the Science Council moved in to capture the city. Zod and Faora ran through back streets, trying to escape, firing off shots at their pursuers. They just needed to escape. They just needed to get free. Zod didn't need an army. He had his wife. He had a plan. Kryptonopolis would be his destination.<p>

A stray bullet. That's what it was. Not a crack shot with a sniper rifle, not a carefully aimed assault rifle. A stray bullet from a handgun fired randomly in their general direction. It should have missed. It should have missed by a long way. But it didn't. Zod was running. Not looking back. He had taken twenty more steps before he realized that Faora wasn't with him. He glanced back. She was behind him, on the ground. A stray bullet. A kill shot.

He wanted to go back. He wanted to see if she still lived or at least claim her body. She was his wife His true love. The only one in all the world who truly understood him. He took a few steps towards her. Troops were closing in on him. A choice was made. He could be by her side. If she was still alive he could hold her in her final moments. But if he did he would be captured. He knew what fate would await him then. Living death in the Phantom Zone. He couldn't go back. He had a mission to fulfill, a planet to rule. Faora of all people would understand. He loved her. At least he thought he loved her. Zod wasn't sure what love was. There was certainly passion between them. They shared a bond. Was it love? Or was love just a chemical reaction in his brain? He couldn't go back. He wouldn't go back. Onwards to Kryptonopolis. That was the plan. A few troops who had remained loyal grabbed his arm. "We have to go" was the cry. Zod looked at his wife once more. It was the last time he would see her. She was probably dead. Either way she was useless to him now. Zod pondered that. Was he really that cold? Or was the situation causing his survival instinct to kick in?

It didn't matter. He turned his back on her and ran. He escaped. He would go onwards to Kryptonopolis. To victory. His army was lost. His wife was lost. But he lived. He would live to see Krypton renewed.


	6. Chapter 6

Six

"_Our family has no legacy, no footprint in history. We have no great deeds to remember, our names haven't been made into songs of glorious eras. But that will change with you, my son. Do not be afraid Dru. Do not give in to doubt. Everything I couldn't give you can still be yours if you have the courage to reach out and grab it for yourself. You can achieve anything. You can ensure that future generations will never forget us. Through you, they will always remember the House of Zod. Through you our names will live forever." - Pol-Zod._

A candle flickered in the dark. Shadows consumed the room. Hidden in a corner, Dru-Zod sat and waited. His war was lost. Many who professed loyalty had abandoned him. The people of Krypton had rejected him. None of that mattered in this moment of reflection. He thought of his wife. Faora had been a constant in his life. She had always stood by him. And he had left her. Left her to bleed out. Left her to die. Thoughts of revenge ignited the synapses of his brain. Retribution for his lost love. But this was about more than revenge. Krypton needed General Zod. Even if they couldn't see it. He had a plan. A final plan. His friend and enemy would be the key. A half dozen troops, barely a fraction of what he once commanded, stood ready outside his door. They were Black Zero. He hated them. They hated him. But they could all agree that the Science Council needed to go. A common enemy and their own weapon just waiting to be used against them. He sat in the dark. Through the window, on a hillside in the distance stood his target – the House of El.

* * *

><p>Lara sat in front of the fire, holding her infant son in her arms. She looked down at the precious gift of life she had been given. The flames lit up his sleeping face. She smiled. Jor-El sat across from her, pouring over data. When the war broke out, all thought of studying the mysterious planet he saw through the Phantom Zone had gone out of his mind. He had a lot to catch up on. He had hoped that the Council would allow him to send more probes through the Phantom Zone after the war but they had refused. It frustrated him. Still, he had more than enough data from the first expedition to keep him busy for months. Perhaps when Zod had been captured the Council would relent.<p>

A second data pad lay resting on the small glass table in front of him. It contained information on Rao, Krypton's sun. Since the Solar Dynamics division had been shut down, it had become difficult to get accurate reasons. Jor-El had to plead with the Council to allow him access to the orbital satellites. He was a Councillor himself. He shouldn't need permission. Zod was right about one thing. The Council was weak and afraid. Space exploration had become a thing of the past. Jor-El's Phantom Zone experiment had been turned into a prison. But he had to have faith. He had to believe that once things settled down, the Science Council would see sense. The question of just when things would settle down was another matter.

"Have you seen his nutrients?" Lara asked, snapping Jor-El out of deep thought. "I was sure I'd brought them in."

"Probably in the kitchen. Stay where you are, I'll go." Jor-El put his datapad down and stood up. He walked to his wife, giving her a gentle kiss on her forehead and following up with one for his sleeping son. Entering the kitchen, Jor-El found himself perplexed. Multiple bottles stood on the counter before him, each with a different combination of nutrients. One bottle for each feeding, each designed to provide a baby with what he needed for healthy development. The only problem was, he had no idea which was which. He pondered for a moment. If he brought one in and it was the wrong one, he would need to return for the right bottle, fully aware that he could make the wrong choice a second time. If he brought them all in, Lara would know that he hadn't been paying attention to the doctors. Physics was easy. Babies, not so much. A slight smile curled across his lips. The bottles were labelled. Of course they were. Jor-El concluded that he had been spending too much time analyzing data.

Picking up the right bottle, something drew his interest out of the corner of his eye. A shadow moving outside the window. He thought nothing of it and was ready to go back inside. Then it happened again. And again. Several shadows. There were people outside. He was sure of it. Then a scream.

"Lara!"

He left the bottle behind and rushed into the living quarters. Lara was there. Her hands were empty. There were tears in her eyes. Angry tears. It took Jor-El a moment to realise there were other people in the room, all dressed in black. All but one. General Zod emerged from the shadows, holding the infant in his arms.

"Hello Jor-El. It's good to see you." Zod looked down at the child. Kal-El looked back up at him and began to cry. "I guess he doesn't like me."

"Put my son down now!" Jor-El commanded, the anger clear in his voice.

"Don't worry. I have no wish to harm him. Unfortunately I need your help. Little...Kal-El isn't it? Such a noble name. Kal-El will provide the incentive you need."

Jor-El wanted to punch him. He wanted to do something. But he couldn't risk his son's life. "What do you want?" he asked, his fists clenched into a ball, absorbing the rage channeling through his body.

"Nothing you can't deliver. An audience with the Science Council. That's all."

Jor-El searched for options. He had none. If he refused, Zod could hurt his son. He glanced at Lara. He saw the fear in her eyes. Their son was in the hands of their oldest friend. No, he wasn't their friend. He was their enemy. An enemy not to be underestimated.

"Alright Zod, you win. Let my wife and son go and I'll do as you ask."

"You're in no position to bargain my friend." Zod replied, "we're all going."

* * *

><p>Dawn was still a few hours away when they arrived at the meeting chamber. Zod wanted to make sure that they were ready before getting Jor-El to call an emergency session. It took another hour before the other Councillor's arrived. It was only when he had confirmation that all the players in his game were on the board that he returned Kal-El to Lara's loving arms.<p>

"You have what you want, now let them go." Jor-El pleaded.

"I'm sorry Jor-El but I don't want you doing anything foolish." He signaled for one of his Black Zero associates to keep an eye on them. "Take your place Jor-El."

Jor-El reluctantly took his seat at the Council and waited silently as the other Councillor's entered. "This had better be good Jor-El," one of them declared with a hint of anger. "I had been enjoying my first good night's sleep in a long time," added another. "So, what is it? What's so important?"

Jor-El didn't have a chance to answer. He couldn't warn them. He could do nothing. Zod and his Black Zero companions emerged from the shadows. They were holding weapons and aiming them squarely at each member of the Council.

"Greetings, noble Councillors," Zod said with a smirk. He immediately noticed the glances towards Jor-El. "Oh please don't blame Jor-El. He was my hostage as you are now." He pointed to Jor-El's family.

"What do you want Zod?" Molium Yar asked. Molium was the title given to the head of the Science Council, a title Seyg-El, Jor-El's father once held.

"Isn't it obvious? I want to end this conflict. I want to bring peace."

"You say that, but you're men are holding guns."

Zod laughed. Yar was right of course. There could be no negotiation. No treaty. Centuries earlier, two warring factions had signed a peace treaty that united Krypton. Zod knew that the only way to achieve unity this time was under his leadership and that was something the Science Council would never permit.

"My wife is dead. She died in battle. I thought about revenge but I realised I was the one responsible. I started this war. It is up to me to end it."

"You have no army. They deserted you. The people of Krypton have rejected you. Even if you kill us they will never accept you as their leader."

"You're right," Zod agreed. "They will not accept me. Not until I open their eyes. The people of Krypton are blind to your failing rule. They haven't seen what I see. You are afraid. All of you. Afraid of progress, of new ideas. Your fear of Black Zero, of change has blinded you."

"You led the fight against Black Zero," Yar countered.

"Indeed I did. These men with me today used to be Black Zero. We have no love for each other. But we recognise that Krypton needs change. Black Zero's actions were terrible. Jax-Ur was a monster. But to sentence him to a living death in the Phantom Zone showed just how far you've fallen. You took our future and turned it into a prison."

"We did what we had to do."

"Jor-El sits on the Council. He discovered the means to travel through the Phantom Zone. You took his discoveries and twisted them." Zod spoke with passion and authority. He glanced at Jor-El. "Have you nothing to say Jor-El?"

"You're right Zod. You're absolutely right. The Council is weak. It has become twisted by fear. But you're the one pointing weapons at them. You're the one holding my family hostage." Jor-El's words were strong and hit Zod hard.

"I am sorry my friend. I had hoped that you would be a strong voice in the new order. Perhaps in time you will forgive me and we can work together."

"Don't bet on it."

"I understand your anger. As a show of good faith I will let your family return home. It doesn't matter now if they alert the authorities."

Zod seemed sincere. He nodded to his associates to release the mother and child. Lara looked up at her husband. She didn't want to leave him. But the nod from Jor-El told her what she already knew. She had to protect their son. She left the chamber, carrying Kal-El in her arms. As she ran for the doors, she prayed for the safety of her husband.

"You see Jor-El, I am not a monster. I am a soldier. I exist to serve Krypton." Zod spoke the words as if he believed them. Somewhere deep down, he knew that he lusted for power. He tried not to think of it. He tried to rationalize his actions as being for the good of the planet but in his mind, only he could lead Krypton to a bright future.

"What will you do with us?" Yar asked as he glanced around the room at the Black Zero members with guns.

"It's simple. I know the weapons platform orbiting this station has been restocked. Jax-Ur used it to destroy Kandor and instead of dismantling it, you decided to keep it."

"That's not true," Jor-El declared. Even as he said it, the eyes of the other Council members shifted downwards, trying to hide their guilt. Zod noticed immediately and smiled. Jor-El found himself speechless.

"You didn't know did you Jor-El? Not surprising. This Council you have so much faith in barely acknowledge you. You want to change things but they refuse to accept their own failings. The Kryptonian people refuse to ask the important questions. So I will do it for them."

It had come to him in his final night with Faora. His masterstroke. He would open the eyes of Krypton with a lie. Through that lie he would become their hero. Their hope for a better world.

"I will use the platform to destroy an ancient city of Krypton. When the world wakes up tomorrow, they will find that millions have died in the night."

"You're mad!" Jor-El declared with a mix of anger and fear. "Killing millions of people will make you even more despised than you are now."

"I'm the only sane one left Jor-El. It won't be I who kills them. It will be you and your Council."

Zod signaled to one of his men. The man, armed with a rifle ascended the steps to the Council seats. He proceeded to strike Molium Yar with his rifle, knocking him out of his seat. The Black Zero soldier then grabbed Yar's hand and placed it on the control panel in front of them. Zod now controlled the entire defense network among other things.

"The world will learn how the Council launched it's warheads on Argo City, driven mad by the war and determined ensure lasting peace by eliminating the possibility of another Black Zero rising in Argo. Then I will step forward as the man who gave justice to Krypton. I won't kill you. I will do what you do with monsters. You will be trapped in the Phantom Zone forever and I will lead Krypton in rebuilding and forging a bright future."

Jor-El couldn't believe what he was hearing. Zod was indeed mad. Nobody would ever believe that the Science Council would carry out such an attack or that Zod had stepped in just in time to send them to the Phantom Zone as punishment for their supposed crimes.

"You really think that will work? I knew you to be an intelligent man Zod. But this is beyond insane."

"Perhaps you didn't know me at all Jor-El. The people of Krypton will resist of course. But as time passes they will come to see the Science Council for what they really are. Then they will believe what I tell them. They will embrace me and the order I will bring. I offer you one last chance to join me Jor-El. Please don't throw your life away."

"My place is here Zod."

"So be it. What of the rest of you? If you wish to live free from the Phantom Zone, if you wish to repent and help me build a new Krypton then join me. Leave the fear behind, abandon your corrupt hearts and embrace my future."

Silence. Not a single Council member responded to Zod's offer. He knew that if he could sway any Councillors to join him, it would help to legitimize his efforts and sell the lie to the people of Krypton.

"Think," he continued. "is it not better to stand on solid ground than to waste away into nothing? I ask you again. Who will join me? When you made me a General, in this very chamber, there was a ceremony. You asked that I kneel before this Council. If you will join me, I ask the same of you. Kneel before Zod."

Again, nothing. Zod sighed. It was a long shot but he needed to try.

"We will not follow you." Yar declared, his voice strong and unwavering.

"As you wish. Activate the Phantom Zone generator."

Zod gave the command and his followers carried it out. A few keystrokes on the control panel later and the room began to light up with electrical energy. It wasn't long before reality tore itself apart, creating a gateway to the Phantom Zone. Zod wondered if Jax-Ur was there, if his body had wasted away yet. He looked through the gateway and saw nothing.

"I do not know what you will feel in there. Perhaps you can consoles yourselves in the knowledge that you won't be here when Argo is destroyed. When the people of Krypton learn to hate you, perhaps in the void of the pocket dimension you will feel relief that you are not present to feel their wrath."

"Do you hear that?" Jor-El asked the Black Zero members in the room. "He will destroy Argo City. Your home. Your families will die. The city of Rao will burn and you will be cursed by Him forever."

"Very clever Jor-El. But these men will see it through to the end."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Jor-El commented as he looked around the room. He saw the doubt creeping into the Black Zero members. Now Zod could see it too. He had to finish this quickly before they had the chance to think about turning on him.

"Grab him," Zod ordered, pointing at Jor-El. The Black Zero member closest to Jor-El hesitated. Zod wasted no time in drawing his pistol and shooting him in the back. "Does anyone else want to disobey?"

"This is the man you are following," Jor-El continued in a persuasive tone. "He will destroy you all. If you value your lives, the lives of the ones you love, then abandon him. If you fear the wrath of Rao – abandon Zod. He is a false prophet."

"It is not the wrath of Rao they should fear, it is the wrath of Zod!" the General stated. Already he could see the Black Zero members backing away slowly. He was losing them.

"If you leave now I will hunt you down. Stay and be part of history or run and reap a terrible revenge." His words were empty to their ears. They had known that Zod planned to use the weapons platform much like their beloved leader Jax-Ur had done. It was only here and now that they learned of his target. They could not be a part of Argo's destruction.

A few of them contemplated staying, perhaps even killing Zod themselves. But they chose not to be a part of it. Rifle's fell to the ground as the Black Zero agents ran for the exits. They had all worn masks. Perhaps they could go home someday, assuming they had a home to go to.

Zod stood alone, pistol in hand. "I don't need them" he declared as he pulled Jor-El down from his seat, dragging him towards the Phantom Zone gateway. "You will be the first Jor-El. Do not worry about your wife and son. I will take care of them."

That statement sent a surge of adrenaline through Jor-El's body. He found his fingers curling into a ball, into a fist. He threw a punch. He missed. Zod's momentum in dodging the attack loosened his grip on his pistol. Jor-El made a grab for it. They struggled together, edging closer and closer to the gateway.

Zod was a military man. He was a trained fighter. It took him a moment to get the better of Jor-El. The gun fell from their hands but Zod didn't need it to beat his old friend. He delivered a blow to the ribs and a right hook across the jaw. Jor-El staggered backwards. The other Councillors came down from the platform to stand beside him. Zod was outnumbered. He reached for the gun.

He didn't see the swell of energy coming from the Phantom Zone, the electrical outburst like a streak of lightning. It struck his back, colliding like a whip on flesh. The moment of agony gave Jor-El his chance. The scientist rushed forward, arms out ahead of him. By the time Zod recovered from the shock of the energy hitting his back, Jor-El was upon him, shoving him backwards. Zod managed to grab Jor-El and toss him aside. The motion caused him to stumble.

Zod regained his footing only for another flash of energy to strike him. Then another. The look of horror in Jor-El's eyes told him everything. Zod didn't need to turn around. He knew where he was standing. The flashes of energy began to burn his clothes away and set his flesh alight. He didn't scream in pain. He didn't beg for help. His entire body was being pulled into the Phantom Zone. There would be no mercy.

Zod glared at Jor-El, his last moments in reality. In that moment he thought of promising revenge, of making Jor-El bow down to him someday. Those thoughts vanished and he thought of Faora. Then his father. The man who told him that he would bring the House of Zod out of obscurity. He had certainly done that. The Phantom Zone devoured him whole and in a brilliant flash of light, General Zod was gone.

Jor-El rushed to the control panel and shut it down before it could do anymore damage. The Councillors all looked at each other. Not a word was spoken. The Kryptonian Guard would be alerted and the fleeing Black Zero agents would be found. But for now, a moment of silence, of peace is what they all needed.

* * *

><p>It was several hours before Jor-El made it home. Lara was there with their son. He hugged them close. He thought of his brother in Argo City. Zor-El had no idea how close he had come to annihilation. It had been decided by the Council that the entire incident should be kept out of the public record. Molium Yar reasoned that the last thing the people of Krypton needed right now was to know how vulnerable their leaders had been. Jor-El didn't like it. The Council kept to many secrets. The world through the Phantom Zone had never been discussed in an open session. Jor-El feared it never would be.<p>

In the weeks that followed, Jor-El finished analyzing the data he had gained from the probe sent to the other side of the Phantom Zone, the other side of the galaxy. Translating the various languages was proving difficult without points of reference but he believed he was finally getting a grasp on things.

His attention turned to the solar data he had obtained from Rao's satellites. Something strange was going on in the sun. Lara was the expert in solar mechanics and even she couldn't tell what was happening. The strange energy spikes were coming more frequently. Jor-El wondered if it was perhaps just a natural part of the suns life but Lara didn't seem so sure. Something was definitely wrong with the life-giving sun of Krypton.


	7. Chapter 7

Seven

"_I await the day with dread_

_The day that's yet to come._

_When the fires of Rao will strike_

_And we bear the wrath of suns._

_I await the time ordained_

_When all of man is shunned._

_The day the sinful burn in flame_

_No survivors. Not one. _

_I await the day with dread_

_I know I cannot run._

_The god of gods will strike_

_with the power of the One._

_I await the time foretold_

_When the waiting is finally done._

_When Krypton burns in the Fires of Rao._

_Consumed by the holy sun."_

_From the Kandorian scrolls, Author Unknown._

There was something wrong with Krypton's sun. Jor-El knew it. He could feel it. But he needed to prove it. For years, Lara had recorded massive spikes of energy that seemed to emanate from within the core. This was impossible. Rao was a red giant. It's very nature meant there were no more nuclear reactions within the core. There was no more hydrogen in the core to use as fuel. Yet the readings indicated that there was some form of nuclear reaction happening in the core. It had been dismissed as a glitch, perhaps interference from solar flares was causing false readings. But as Jor-El poured over the data he knew that wasn't the case.

He had to go back to the beginning, to the first readings he and Lara ever took of the sun. The energy spikes were there. They were much less prominent but they still managed to show up. He went back further, into old records. These spikes had been occurring for at least a century. At first they were months apart, now they appeared to happen every few minutes.

Jor-El gathered his data. He measured the strength of the energy spikes. Each one was stronger than the last and each blast of energy was putting pressure on the helium shell around the core, which in turn was putting pressure on the rest of the sun outside it. The sun was burning up fuel faster than anyone could have anticipated. None of it felt right. The science made no sense. Jor-El had never heard of a sun acting in this manner. Much of what actually happens within the heart of a star was of course theory but it was theory based on sound reasoning and centuries of study.

He was reminded of the old stories. The Raoists spoke of a day of reckoning when the true god Rao would destroy the world, taking the sinners with it while saving the righteous and the just. What Jor-El was beginning to understand was that the day of reckoning was coming. He didn't believe in the old stories. He knew that Rao wasn't bringing about the end of the world. But something else might be.

He began running simulations, trying to think of every possible variable as he calculated the complexities of the equations now running though his mind. Lara sat beside him, double checking everything. Then Jor-El would check again. Every number was vital. It all had to be correct. It all had to be precise. When Jor-El had accounted for everything he could think of, he began to run the complete simulation.

It was presented as a hologram in the centre of the room. The red sun shone in all its glory. The simulation proceeded to apply Jor-El's equations. Lara and Jor-El watched in stunned silence as the holographic display showed the sun expand outwards rapidly before collapsing back on itself. The blinding light of the supernova that followed almost shorted out the holoprojector's circuits. The blast of energy spread outwards, consuming all in its path. It obliterated Krypton and two more planets. The final three planets in the solar system were shown to have their atmospheres burned away.

He ran the simulation again, this time programming it to show the internal workings of the sun. He saw the little explosions of energy, millions of them as the sun fed, trying to sustain itself. Then a final explosion of energy from within the core that spread across entire star, a final contraction as it came back in on itself, intensifying the massive pressure on the core. Then finally, as in the external simulation – supernova.

"This can't be happening." Lara commented, a tear sliding down her cheek. "It doesn't make sense. My whole career has been spent trying to understand the sun but this is beyond anything I know."

"It must be wrong," Jor-El replied, refusing to believe what he was seeing. "Go over the equations again. We must have made a mistake somewhere."

They spent all night going over the equations, rechecking every piece of data, every permutation. In a room beyond, Kal-El slept soundly, blissfully unaware of the weight that had now been put on his parents shoulders. He slept through the tears. He slept through the arguments. He slept through the grim acceptance of the reality that had hit them.

When dawn broke, husband and wife stood out on the balcony, letting the morning sun wash over them. It was the sun that gave them warmth. It was the sun that gave them life. It was the sun that sustained them. It would be the sun that killed them.

"How long?" Lara asked, already knowing the answer.

"If the increased energy output continues to rise at the current rate...four cycles."

"Four months." Lara said it like a woman lost in a daydream. She could scarcely believe it. She didn't want to believe it. At times during the night she had outright refused to believe it. She had argued with Jor-El. She told him he must be wrong. She must be wrong. Her heart was breaking and by the time she accepted the grim truth, she was a shadow of the beautiful mind Jor-El had fallen in love with at the academy. She asked the obvious question. "Now what?"

"We tell the Council." For his part, Jor-El remained cool. At least that's how he appeared to his wife. He was suffering as much as she was. But he couldn't show it. He had to remain calm. He had to think of something. He always thought of something. Maybe they could slow down the suns aging, return it to its natural state. He tried to forget that he had no idea how anyone could contemplate making such a radical idea into a reality.

"Then what? What do we do? We can't just wait to die can we?" Lara's voice shook as she pleaded with her husband to fix it, to make it better. "We finally have a chance to live in peace, to raise our son. Dear Rao what about Kal-El? What about everyone?"

Jor-El didn't seem to have an answer. He hadn't slept. His mind was a jumbled mess of equations and nightmarish images of the end of the world. He remembered conversation with his father as a child.

"_Our sun is dying, Someday we will have to leave this world behind and find a new home for our people."_

Someday. It was supposed to be a million years from now. Maybe more. A long time.

"_For you and I perhaps, but for the universe it is but a moment."_

It wasn't supposed to be like this. Jor-El had the most loving wife. A son he adored. He was on the Science Council. He had discovered a new world. Everything he had been through to get here wasn't supposed to happen. Jax-Ur wasn't supposed to blow up the moon. Black Zero wasn't supposed to destroy Kandor. His best friend wasn't supposed to lead an insurrection, forcing Jor-El to send him to the Phantom Zone.

"That's it!" It was like a bolt of lightning igniting the synapses in his brain. An idea. A crazy idea. Four months wasn't a long time but he could make it work. He had to. He kissed his wife.

"What is it?" Lara asked, her body still reeling as she pulled away from her husbands lips.

"I can save us." Jor-El proclaimed. "I can save us all."

* * *

><p>It was another two days before Jor-El could convene an emergency session of the Science Council. Many Councillors had gone home to spend some time with their families after what happened with Zod. Time was precious but the wait allowed Jor-El to fine tune his idea. This would be the day that Krypton's doom would become known. It would also be the day that hope would rise. Jor-El didn't want to start a panic. The session wouldn't be broadcast and would remain off the record until the time was right.<p>

He stood before the Council. His arm itched. Nerves perhaps. A bead of sweat fell from his brow, threatening to seep into his eye. He wiped it away. He had to be calm and confident. He began with the holo-simulation. The Councillor's watched it, unsure what to make of what they were seeing. A supernova.

"What is this?" a Councillor asked.

"This my friends, is what will happen to our planet. As some of you know, my wife spent much time working in the Solar Dynamics division. During that time, I was tasked with building a probe that could be launched into the sun to record data from beneath the surface. The probe itself lasted mere seconds but in that short time the data we gathered proved illuminating."

"Get to the point," another called out.

"Forgive me Councillor. I'm coming to it. During the experiment, we picked up strong spikes of energy coming from what appeared to be the core of the sun. I have managed to trace these energy spikes back for at least a century. Our solar satellites pick them up, barely. But they are there. These spikes have occurred at rapidly increasing intervals. As of now, they have become a single constant stream. These burst of energy are causing the sun to consume fuel at a much faster rate than is normal in a red sun. This is increasing the pressure within the core. What you saw in the simulation is the result of what will happen when the pressure becomes too much."

Some Councillors hadn't really been listening. But now there was silence. Jor-El felt the eyes of the room all directed squarely at him. Molium Yar was the first to break the silence.

"What are you saying? That the sun is going to explode?"

"As a supernova, yes. My friends I have checked the data and rechecked it. I wish I was wrong, believe me but the facts are there for all to see. I have of course placed my findings in the central database so that you may exam them more closely."

Jor-El glanced around at their faces. Nobody believed him. Perhaps nobody wanted to believe him. He couldn't blame them. He hadn't wanted to believe it himself.

"That is quite a bold claim Jor-El. Yet you seem incredibly calm for a man predicting the end of the world."

"I am calm because I must be. None of you believe what I am saying. I can see that. When you study my data for yourself you will understand the truth."

"If this is true, the people must be told." A voice of reason to Jor-El's left. There was a touch of fear in his voice.

"No," Yar interjected, "until we can verify Jor-El's claims we must remain silent. We must not cause a panic."

"And if it is true? What then?"

"Perhaps there is merit in remaining silent. If Krypton is to fall, let its people die as they lived and not in fear of the end."

"I don't believe it will come to that." Jor-El replied, knowing that he might have the means to saving everyone.

"How long do we have?"

"Four months."

The next few minutes were spent bickering as Councillors tried to come to terms with what they were being told. Their lives, the lives of everyone they knew, their entire world would be gone in four months. Most refused to believe it. They called Jor-El crazy. A crackpot. He was a former student of Jax-Ur and they accused him of trying to stir up the Raoists once again with insane theories about the end of the world.

"Please, everyone be calm." Yar spoke with authority as he called for order. The voices settled down. Jor-El breathed a sigh of relief. Yar noticed this immediately. "You said it wouldn't come to that. What did you mean?"

"We must begin evacuating the people."

"Evacuation? To where?"

"Earth."

"That planet you discovered through the Phantom Zone? You can't be serious. We have no idea what that world is like save for some strange recordings, many of which appear violent in later. This Council remains unconvinced that this new world even exists."

"Unconvinced? I showed you the proof."

"Would that world even sustain us?" Yar asked.

"I believe it would do more than sustain us. Earth orbits a yellow star. It's atmosphere is not to different to our own. More importantly the planet orbits a yellow sun that I believe could help us to thrive on this new world."

"Could?"

"It is only a theory but I have long believed that life on Krypton existed when Rao was a young star, a yellow star. A return to such an environment may give our people enhanced abilities to allow them to survive."

"And how do you suppose we get there? How do you expect us to evacuate an entire planet? We have no ships Jor-El and even if we did it could take centuries to reach that world."

"I don't think so," Jor-El replied, confident in his plan. "I suggest that we evacuate the people to the Phantom Zone."

"You can't be serious."

"Only for a short time. When everyone has made the journey through, a single ship can travel through to the other side, to Earth and establish relations with the natives. That person can then bring everyone through on that side."

"This is madness," one Councillor cried out.

"He's lost his mind," shouted another.

"You must listen, it's the only way." For the first time Jor-El began to worry. He knew his plan seemed crazy. He knew there would be opposition. But not this much. It was the only way and he had to make them see that. "I beg you to hear my words. Our world will die. Our people will die. We have a chance to save everyone."

"Two of Krypton's most dangerous men reside in the Phantom Zone. It is a prison, and you would send our people there?"

"You made it a prison, not I. Now you can make it a place of hope for Krypton. You must listen to me. Look at the data. See for yourselves."

Molium Yar considered Jor-El's words. The son of Seyg-El had proven himself valuable many times. He was not someone to be ignored lightly. "Very well. We will reconvene tomorrow morning after we've had a chance to review your...findings."

And with that the session was over. No decision would be made today. As with everything, the Science Council would deliberate endlessly. Jor-El knew the data spoke for itself. They would have to understand. They would have to act.

* * *

><p>"How did it go?" Lara asked as her husband stepped inside the door.<p>

"They're deliberating. We'll know their decision tomorrow."

"But they listened to you, right? They understand?"

"I hope so. They must. They're afraid. Afraid of what I'm saying, afraid of change. They're afraid to admit those fears to themselves. Zod wasn't entirely wrong. The last few years have changed the Science Council. Still, with the fate of our people in the balance I must have hope that they will act."

Zor-El was waiting in the living area. Lara had filled him in on what was happening. Like the Science Council, he struggled to believe what he was hearing but he trusted his brother completely. Jor-El was brilliant. As was Lara. In his heart, Zor-El knew they weren't wrong.

"What happens if the Council reject your findings?" Zor-El asked the question nobody in the room wanted to ask.

"We save as many people as we can," Lara answered.

Jor-El handed his brother a small datapad. "The plans for the Phantom Zone generator are inside."

"I'm no engineer." Zor-El replied.

"There must be someone you can trust. If the Council sides against us you must build that generator and start sending people to the Phantom Zone as soon as possible. I'll try to do the same here. The Council has the other generator. I doubt they'll release it to me. But it won't matter. I can modify a probe to travel through the Phantom Zone to the other side. Once there I can use the materials on Earth to build a new generator to start bringing people out."

"It won't come to that though, right?" Zor-El asked as he studied the plans.

"I hope not. Dear Rao I hope not."

* * *

><p>There was a strange atmosphere in the Council Chamber when Jor-El entered the next morning. He wasn't sure what to expect. Other Councillors offered only fleeting acknowledgements as he moved to stand before them. Yar stood at the central podium overlooking the Chamber.<p>

"The twenty third session of the Science Council for this term is now in session. We will now discuss the findings of Councillor Jor-El on his claims of an imminent threat to the planet Krypton. Jor-El, you may make a statement if you wish."

"I have nothing to say except that we must act quickly to save our people."

"Very well. We have reviewed your findings and we find that your evidence does indeed point to a threat to our planet. The anomalies you claim to have observed appear to show that the sun is in the process of burning up the last of its fuel and will soon enter a state of supernova."

It was exactly what Jor-El needed to hear. They had agreed with his findings and now they could get on to the business of evacuating the planet.

"However," Yar continued, "there are other factors to consider."

"Other factors?" Jor-El asked. He suddenly began to feel uneasy.

"Your rise to this Council has been swift but not without cause for concern. Firstly there is your relationship with Jax-Ur and his terrorist group known as Black Zero."

"He taught me at the Academy. That's it. I joined the task force to bring Black Zero down."

"We are aware of your record Jor-El. But it is also true that you objected to our sentencing Jax-Ur to the Phantom Zone."

"Because it wasn't right. The Phantom Zone is supposed to be a gateway to other worlds, not a prison."

Something was definitely wrong. Why were the Council bringing up Jor-El's personal history? In the end it wouldn't matter. They would see the Kryptonian people survive the end of their world. They had to.

"General Zod also objected on those grounds. He used it as an excuse to declare that this Council was illegitimate and oversaw an armed campaign to bring our government, our whole society down."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"You share a friendship, do you not?"

This wasn't a Council meeting. Jor-El was quickly realizing that it was becoming a witch hunt.

"Zod was my friend, yes. That friendship ended when he betrayed this Council and the people of Krypton. I forced him into the Phantom Zone. You know this. You were all here."

Jor-El saw the fear in their eyes. It slowly dawned on him that they were hiding behind that fear. They were refusing to accept what was in front of their eyes. Their fear would take the entire Kryptonian race down with them.

"Tell me Jor-El," Yar continued, "you suggested that the people of Krypton be evacuated to the Phantom Zone. Your own research has indicated that one could lose their physical form in that pocket dimension."

"Yes but it isn't permanent. If a person is even in there long enough for that to happen, their physical forms can be reconstituted upon re-entry into this dimension."

"I thought as much. It is the belief of this Council that this whole affair is nothing more than an elaborate plot to overthrow this Council and establish dominance over the people of Krypton. You are colluding with General Zod."

"Colluding? Have you all gone mad?"

"You would send our people to the Phantom Zone and no doubt release Zod from his captivity. With the Kryptonian people trapped in the pocket dimension you can then assert control over them, only releasing them on your terms."

And there it was. The Science Council's fear had turned to paranoia. Jor-El had wanted to save Krypton. The world was doomed but Krypton was more than the ground beneath their feet. Krypton was the people, a people who had struggled to find peace and a path to a brighter future. Now everything would end because the Science Council were so consumed by fear and doubt that it blinded them to the truth.

"Listen to yourselves. This is insane. I have always served the people of Krypton. For Rao's sake look at the data. It's right there."

"Ah yes, your evidence. We tried to replicate your findings but could not find these spikes of energy you referred to."

"That's because it's not a series of spikes anymore. It's a constant stream of energy that will continue to build up until the pressure becomes too intense to contain. The solar satellites can't pick it up unless you know what you're looking for. If you hadn't shut down the Solar Dynamics division then we could have learned of this danger months ago."

"So you admit that you have no faith in this Council."

"No, that's not what I'm saying. Give me access to the solar satellites. Let me show you."

"Your status as a Council member has been revoked. You no longer have access to our systems. We are not fools Jor-El. Everyone on this Council has lead their respective fields of expertise. We were chosen because we were considered the best minds on the planet. If we cannot confirm your findings, no one can. Your evidence is false. You have used your status on this Council to manipulate our solar equipment into giving false readings in order to further your plot."

"You must listen to me. Your fear will doom us all." Jor-El was close to tears as he spoke. His dream of saving Krypton had turned into a nightmare.

"It is our vigilance that has exposed you. You are a man of science, are you not? A man of logic? Tell me then, which is more likely? That you discovered an anomaly in the sun, causing it to age rapidly, an anomaly that has no precedent and cannot be found by this Council? That you just happened to not only discover a gateway to the other side of the galaxy, but that it also led to a miraculous discovery? Earth, a second home of the children of Rao? We are expected to believe this tale? Or is it in fact more logical that you doctored the findings you presented to this Council, regarding both this new world and the sun and that you have colluded with General Zod, a friend of yours for many years to bring this Council to its knees and establish your own rule over the people of Krypton? Which is more believable Jor-El?

"I'll prove it. Just give me a chance. I'll show you the truth. You have to listen to me. Krypton is doomed. Our people are doomed. You have to help me save them."

But they wouldn't listen. Even as Jor-El pleaded with them endlessly, the Council refused to accept it. Krypton had faced war. Many people had been killed in the last few years. The Science Council itself had come under direct threat from Zod. They couldn't allow themselves to contemplate another tragedy. The rising star of the Science Council would therefore be shown to be a traitor. Krypton would live on. They were sure of it. In their minds at least. Somewhere, deep down in the hearts of every single member of the Council, the truth burned as a faint flame. That flame would never die but it would remain alone, flickering in the dark, struggling for oxygen, never to see the dawn.

"It is the decision of this Council that you, your wife and your brother shall stand trial for treason. Yes, we are aware of the meeting you had with Zor-El last night. It was no doubt another stage in your planned insurrection. However, out of respect for your father and the trauma it would cause on your infant son, we have decided to allow you to remain at your home under house arrest. All communications to your home will be cut off with all frequencies monitored. We will not allow you to spread panic among the population."

Then it was over. Two security officers were brought into the Chamber. They would escort Jor-El to his home where he would remain a prisoner until his trial. As he was led away he begged and pleaded with them to see reason, to see sense. It was to no avail. Krypton would burn. It's people would be lost forever.

* * *

><p>Jor-El sat in his laboratory. His wife watched him silently, holding their son in her arms. He had been home for hours and hadn't said a word. Lara had taken Kal-El to the park where she was confronted by security officers and escorted home. As she made her way home, news broadcasts indicated that Zor-El had been removed from office in Argo City. The House Of El, the most respected and revered family on Krypton would be labelled traitors. Not that it mattered. They'd all be dead soon anyway.<p>

Jor-El poured over his data. His fate was sealed. He would face treason or death. Krypton would fall or it wouldn't. He knew he was right. He knew the planet was doomed. He hoped he was wrong, hoped that life would go on but he knew. It was over. A laugh from Kal-El drew his attention. He turned to see his wife and son. He forced a smile for Kal-El's sake. His eyes betrayed his sorrow.

Jor-El had no idea what had become of his brother, what had become of Alura and their daughter Kara. Had they been placed under house arrest as well? He hoped so. He hoped they would have the chance to spend their last days together as a family.

"It's not right," Lara commented as Kal-El reached out to play with her hair. "Kal should have the chance to live and grow and become a man like his father. So many children won't have that chance."

Jor-El knew how she felt. As he looked around the laboratory his fixated on the probe he had sent through the Phantom Zone. It seemed such a waste now. He had discovered a new world. It didn't matter. He had found a way to travel across the galaxy. It didn't matter. His greatest accomplishment was his son. It was the only thing that mattered. They would spend every moment they had left together. They would be a family if only for a few months. "If only we could make them see the truth."

"How can we?" Lara asked. "It's not like we can just stuff them in one of these damn probes and send them to Earth to see with their own eyes."

"I fear that even then they wouldn't believe it," Jor-El answered solemnly. For a brief moment he looked at the probe and made a quick calculation in his head. Even the slenderest Councillor wouldn't fit inside. Jor-El embraced his family. He looked down at his son and smiled. He couldn't give Kal-El a future but he would do everything to make the last days of Krypton the best in his son's life.

They began to leave the laboratory together, back towards the main living area of the house. Jor-El stopped. It had happened so many times in his life. A thought would enter his head. A crazy thought. Then his brain would get to work, turning crazy into reality. It was what made him so brilliant. He looked back at the probe and then at his family. No, it wouldn't work. Did he even have the kind of equipment he'd need? It didn't matter. They couldn't all fit inside that probe. Perhaps Lara and Kal-El could go without him. No, even Lara on her own couldn't be sustained. His brain kept working. His eyes darted around the lab, taking stock of everything. Perhaps if...no, it was too much of a risk. Then again, what was the alternative?

Lara could see his mind working. "What is it? What are you thinking?"

"What you said about the Councillors being stuffed into the probe...why not? Why not send someone through the Phantom Zone? I still have the first generator. I think I can create a life support system. It can be done. Four months isn't a lot of time but..."

"What are you taking about? That probe is too small to fit anyone."

"It could accommodate a child."

Jor-El's words send a shiver through her body. Now she knew. Now she understood. She hugged Kal-El close to her.

"You can't be serious. He's a baby. You can't send our son out into space to die."

"We'd be sending him out there to live. Kal-El will die if he stays here. We can give him a chance Lara."

"But if it goes wrong..."

"He'll die as we will."

"He'll die alone."

"I can make it work. I know I can. We can send him through the Phantom Zone to Earth. At least there he'll have a chance at having some kind of life. "

Lara contemplated what her husband was suggesting. If it worked, Kal-El could live, he could grow to become a man. But it was too dangerous. So many things could go wrong. The probe could fall apart and Kal-El would be sucked into the vacuum of space. The guidance systems could malfunction and Kal-El would wander space alone until his life support gave out. Lara was his mother. She couldn't endanger her son. "No. I won't let you do it."

"Think of the alternative. We can give him a chance to live."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Do you remember my presentation at the Academy? I talked about Kryptonian life under a yellow sun. Earth orbits a yellow sun. It's energy would fill his cells and activate the dormant abilities that animals here once relied on to survive. Kal-El wouldn't just live, he would thrive."

"But that was all theory. I remember what you said. You experimented on rodents but they all died."

"Because I gave them concentrated doses of solar radiation. Kal-El would grow up on Earth. His body would adjust over a period of years."

"You can't guarantee that."

"No. I can't guarantee anything. All I know is that he is our son and as much as I want to embrace him and keep him close, I can't protect him. We owe him a chance to live. That's all it is. A chance. But it's all we can give him."

Lara played her husband's words over and over in her mind. She didn't want to let go of her son. But she had to. She knew it. Kal-El would die on Krypton. If there was a chance, even a fleeting one...she nodded her head. Their final days wouldn't be spent fearing the end. It would be spend saving their son.

* * *

><p>It was the day the world ended. The morning sun broke through the clouds above Kryptonopolis, just like every other morning. Jor-El had worked tirelessly for four months. Every so often, he would be dragged in front of the Science Council to answer the charges laid against him. He protested his innocence and pleaded with them to see sense. They didn't listen.<p>

On the day the world ended, solar activity increased a million fold. A massive solar flare struck the south side of the planet, causing electro-magnetic disturbances. The fate of Rao was now clear for all to see. The Science Council urged Jor-El to intervene, to implement his plan. But it was too late. It was said that a flash of light illuminated the Council Chamber. Some Councillors had decided to enter the Phantom Zone with no hope of ever getting out.

On the day the world ended, serenity gave way to panic. Law gave way to lawlessness. Families embraced each other and awaited their final moments. Religious groups gathered to await the wrath of Rao. Some took their own lives, fearing the darkness to come. Argo City, the centre of Raoist faith, became truly peaceful for the first time in centuries. People accepted their fate and came together in solidarity.

On the day the world ended, on the outskirts of Kryptonopolis, the House of El stood proud. Inside, Jor-El was making his final calculations for his son's journey through the Phantom Zone. He didn't know what future awaited Kal-El but at least he would have a future. The probe had become a space ship. It's systems were fully automated and would guide Kal-El to Earth. Unfortunately Jor-El had been unable to complete the landing program. The ship would crash. There was no way to prevent it. So Jor-El made sure that the life pod that would hold his son would function on a gyro-axis that would keep Kal-El safe and even unaware of the impact of the crash. Solar receptors were placed around the ship. If Jor-El's yellow sun theory was correct, even a little yellow sunlight could help to protect the child.

There was another layer of protection. Blue and red fabrics that were soft yet extremely durable, both containing the shield of Kem-L, the symbol of the House of El. They would be wrapped around Kal-El to protect him and keep him warm on his journey to his new home. Jor-El placed as small datapad into a slot at the base of the ship.

"What is that?" Lara asked as she held her son, afraid to let go.

"The library of knowledge...or as much of it as I could fit on the datapad. He won't remember us or this world but at least he can learn about who we were, what Krypton stood for."

"I hope he won't think too badly of us," Lara said with a touch of sadness. "I wish we could give him more."

"We can. There's a small holo-recorder on the ship. We can give him a message."

"But he won't understand us. He'll grow up speaking another language."

"I've programmed the ship to land in what appears to be a rural area of one of the more advanced continents. I've managed to translate much of the language spoken in that region. The translation matrix in the holo-recorder will translate what we say to him."

"I don't know what to say."

"Whatever your heart tells you."

Lara took a moment to compose herself. Kal-El was in her arms but she would have to get her mind around speaking to her sone as he would exist in the future, as a human being.

"Kal-El. Wait, he won't know that name. I guess that is your name, at least as you were here. It's strange to have you here, in my arms even as I speak to the man you will become. My name is Lara. I am your mother. Your father stands beside me. He is Jor-El. A great man. The reason you're...the reason you're alive. " Lara found tears rolling down her face. She needed to take a deep breath. Jor-El continued the message.

"When you see and can understand this, we will be long gone. Everything you need to know about our world is stored in a datapad in your ship but know this. You are Kal-El of the planet Krypton. Today, we send you on a journey to a new home. It is on this day that our world ends."

"We couldn't go with you," Lara continued, "but know that we will always watch over you."

"I'm sure you have questions. You may want to know if you have a purpose. You do. It is to live and live well. Your life is your own and I know that whatever that life consists of, you will have made us proud. You may have discovered abilities beyond the people around you. Although you look like a human being you are a son of Krypton. Use your abilities wisely. Embrace humanity but never forget your heritage."

"Your father and I love you Kal-El. It breaks our hearts to let you go but we want you to live. We made the decision to send you across the stars out of love. Please know that."

"We were a noble people but also fragile and flawed. But we dreamed. And we hoped. Those hopes now go with you, along with our love. We ask nothing of you other than to live well and fulfill your own dreams. Live well my son.

"Live with our love...Kal-El."

As the holo-recorder shut itself down, both Lara and Jor-El found that they had been crying. Little Kal-El, unaware of what was going on, clung to his mother.

"It's time." Jor-El stated softly. Lara nodded and placed the child into the modified probe that had become a ship to take Kal-El to a home across the galaxy. She could only hope that he would be OK.

As the ship closed around Kal-El and made a seal, Jor-El inputted the final launch commands, opening the roof doors to allow the ship to fly out. Inside, Kal-El was blissfully unaware. A sleeping agent filled the life pod, putting the child into a deep slumber to dream of happy times.

Jor-El and Lara embraced each other as the ship ascended high into the atmosphere. It was just a few minutes later that the sun seemed to get brighter. Then it faded. Total darkness. It was as if the sun had been swallowed up by the cold void of space. It didn't last long. In the centre of the solar system the collapsing star exploded, sending a wave of energy in all directions.

Husband and wife kissed each other as the energy tore through the planet. They ignored everything else. They thought of each other and of their son heading out into the unknown. The planet began to tear itself apart, consumed by the supernova. Showers of rock flew out into the cosmos. The doomed planet Krypton was no more.

As Krypton was annihilated, a small ship rocketed away. Inside, a child slept. Wrapped up n blue and red blankets, Kal-El was unaware of the ships automated systems activating the Phantom Zone generator. He was unaware of the gateway opening up ahead of the ship. As it travelled into the vortex, Kal-El slept soundly. As it sped through the Phantom Zone, the ship moved gracefully, carrying the most important of passengers – Kal-El, the last son of Krypton.

* * *

><p>When he opened his eyes, little Kal-El didn't know where he was. He heard strange voices. His mother and father made funny noises that he couldn't understand. These were somehow different. The ship opened up and the first thing Kal-El did was wince at the intense midday sun shining down on his face. The voices were louder now. They were getting closer.<p>

"Martha, wait a second, it could be dangerous."

"It's a baby Jonathan, it's hardly going to bite our heads off."

Before he knew what has happening, Kal-El was rising out of the ship, being lifted by this strange woman who wasn't his mother. The man, not his father, had a kind face. Kal-El liked him, even if the man did seem to talk nonsense.

"There's not a scratch on him. Where do you think he came from?"

I don't know Martha. I'll tell you one thing though, he's not from around here."

Kal-El turned his head left and right, curious about his surroundings. He had never seen anything like it in his short life. Yellow grass. Fields of yellow grass.

"Do you think maybe he's Russian?"

"I don't think the Russians would invade the cornfields of rural Kansas. At least not with a baby."

"Jonathan look, there's a strange logo on the blanket. It kinda looks like a big red S. Look, there's a yellow one on this blanket here. What do you think it means?"

"How should I know? And don't you go getting any ideas about this baby either."

"He could stay with us...you know, until we find his parents...if he has any."

Kal-El looked at their faces. They seemed kind. He liked them. The sun warmed his face as the woman carried him away from the cornfields, the yellow grass as he perceived it. This was a strange place but Kal-El liked it. He didn't know what it was but he liked it.

"_The shield of Kem-L isn't really a family crest you know. It's old Kryptonese, from when we first started using symbols in writing. Kem-L wanted to symbolize a brighter future. A day of better things. Hope. It means hope." - Jor-El. _

**The Beginning...**


End file.
